Jack of All Trades
by SpyralHax
Summary: Oneshots involving our favorite jack of all trades, with random pairings and topics. Will be split roughly between GinKyuu and GinKagu, with a heavy lean towards Gintoki x Kagura.
1. Chapter 1

**Never get too drunk, otherwise you might forget something important**

**Rating: T (mention of nudity, nothing hardcore)**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kyuubei**

**This is my first oneshot of Gintama, of what I hope will be many. They will all go in this one (except ones that go over 3000 words), and will feature random pairings (almost all involving Gintoki, since he is the most awesome character in the series). Anyway, this time it is Gintoki and Kyuubei. A morning hangover and forgotten events. Or were they? Enjoy, and let me know what you think.**

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"Ugh!" he grumbled, leaning forward in his large office chair. Running his left hand through his silver hair, the young man felt his eyes blinking, trying to get accustomed to the light.

Standing up slowly, his whole body ached. "Hah, I guess I drank too much last night." he bemoaned to himself, trudging his way towards the small bathroom. Each step seemed to echo in his head, as though a series of bombs were going off. With some effort, he finally reached the door to the cool bathroom. The vibes coming off of the cool tile woke him a little further.

Leaving the door open behind him, the silver haired samurai reached towards the medicine cabinet, pulling out the small bottle of aspirin. As he turned on the faucet, even the subtle sound of running water made his brain pound like a jackhammer.

"Maybe this is a sign from Buddha that I should stop drinking…" he muttered, bringing the small glass of water up to his lips, smirking as he slipped the pills inside. "I say that every time, don't I?" he mused to himself, as he swallowed the pills, washing them down with the clear liquid.

As the last bits of the liquid dripped down his throat, the man felt a mild relief, brought on by his mental belief in the cure he had taken. Sighing heavily, he walked back out of the bathroom, looking to get some sleep before the day began in earnest.

"Aaaah!" he screamed, the darkness of the hall combined with the head pounding caused him to run into a small table in the corridor. Rubbing his knee painfully, he hopped away, back towards his room. He decided it might be a good idea to keep is hands ahead of him, to prevent any more accidents.

Tracing his hands along the wall, the samurai finally made his way to the entrance to his cozy little room. Narrowing his eyes, he gazed suspiciously at the small futon in the center of the room.

"Nah, couldn't be." he muttered to himself, shaking the suspicion out of his head. "Absolutely no way." he told himself, looking at the small square. He thought he had seen some movement, but it was impossible. "It must be my eyes playing a trick on me." he told himself, discarding the clothing he had been wearing the night before, settling into the futon. Sighing, he let sleep come over him, but something was amiss.

Opening his eyes again, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was not alone. Looking around the room, he didn't notice anything strange. It would have been normal for a certain someone to be pestering him at this time, but there was no sign that this was the case. That left only one possibility.

With sweat beginning to bead down his face, the silver haired samurai slowly turned his head, looking behind him. His eyes widened, as he noticed a large lump underneath the comforter, right next to him. Gulping on nothing, he slowly sat straight up, looking directly at the lump. Straining his ears, he listened for any signs of possible life. As he heard it, his fears were confirmed _'Oh shit, someone is sleeping in my futon. But who?!'_ he asked himself nervously.

Reaching slowly towards the comforter atop the sleeping figure, he slowly gripped the edge. Pulling slowly, he felt his heart rate beginning to increase, odd fragments of a "dream" he had slipping into his mind.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" he exclaimed to himself, loosening his grip on the thick covering material. "No way that is possible!" he said, as though he were trying to convince himself of some fact, that was clearly a lie. Steeling his nerves, he too one last gulp, deciding to pull off the cover in one go. As the material flew to the opposite side of the room, Gintoki's face went completely blank.

There, right in his futon, was the one-eyed female samurai, with her hair let down from her usual pony tail. The light sweat that had formed on his face now began to bead like a waterfall, threatening to drain all the fluid from his body. It wasn't possible. What was Yagyuu Kyuubei doing in the bed of the lazy samurai from the Yorozuya.

'_She does look pretty cute…'_ he began to think, his crimson eyes focusing on her innocent sleeping form. She was curled up a bit, hands resting together just in front of her sweet looking lips. The way her blue hair was splayed around her face just made her look even more delectable, and Gintoki found himself lost in thought. Suddenly he woke himself from his stupor _'Baka, no time to think about that now! You need to figure this out before someone sees and it gets troublesome!' _he shouted in his mind, his eyes not listening to this thoughts at all.

It took him about a minute for the worst realization to hit him. Not only was this beautiful girl laying in his futon, but she was completely naked, head to toe. He gulped down hard, figuring that there was no way to get out of this situation unharmed. Thinking intensely, he tried to think of some way, some miraculous method to escape this situation.

But his mind went blank as the younger girl rolled over in her sleep, her young body coming completely into his view, entirely unobstructed. '_Well, good bye life. It was a lot of fun.'_ he spoke, as though accepting the horrible punishment that no doubt awaited him when she woke up.

Sighing in frustration, he decided it would be bad to leave things as they were, and reached for the comforter again. Standing, he looked down at her again, smiling as he draped the scrap of cloth over her smooth body. "Look at her, sleeping so innocently in someone else's futon." he muttered to himself, the smirk on his face as he decided to leave her to sleep.

As he slid the door closed, he headed back out to the lounge. He failed to notice that, as his body entered the hallway, a hazel colored eye had opened, regarding him with a deep warmth, and affection.

"Thank you, Gin-san." she spoke softly, closing her eye with a warm smile on her face. She would have to make sure to show him her appreciation for the previous night, but that would have to wait until her head felt clearer.

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**It seems Kyuubei has some affections for our favorite good for nothing. What will she do to show her appreciation? And what is she appreciative for? Possible sequel down the road, but for now, enjoy the oneshot goodness. Next time I will give my first shot at Gintoki x Kagura, look forward to it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02: Only share your food with someone you really like**

**Rating: K (some kissing, but that's it)**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**My first shot at GinKagu, so let me know how it came out. Basically, our favorite silver haired samurai is lounging around as usual, but someone wants his ice cream. What Kagura wants, she usually gets. But is it all a part of her plan? Read and find out. Again, read and review.**

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Sitting in the large reclining chair, Gintoki sucked lazily on his strawberry ice cream bar. He looked dead ahead of him, too lazy to even scan the surrounding area. It was a boring type of day, one where a person would not want to do anything.

But his peace was disturbed, as he felt an odd presence, as though someone were staring directly at him. Against his desire, he looked slowly around the room, for the source of the discomfort. Seeing nothing, he scratched his head in thought, wondering if his mind was just playing tricks on him.

Reaching over slightly, he picked up the newest issue of Jump, flipping through the pages of the thick tome. Finding a good starting point, he slid the frozen dessert back into his mouth, as he began to read.

Scanning through the pages, he slurped inappropriately on the melting ice cream, trying to keep it from dripping on his clothes. But as he slurped the pink material, he felt that presence again. Bringing his gaze up over the top of his anthology, he scanned through the room. As his crimson eyes found themselves focusing on the source of the discomfort, he felt his right eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"Is there something I can help you with, Kagura?" he asked, somewhat bitterly. The girl was sitting on his desk, directly in front of him, legs crossed like a small child. At his question, she only smiled, those ocean blue eyes staring, directly into his very soul. It was a somewhat jarring experience, and he felt himself losing some of his composure. "Ah, stop staring at me like that, and go keep yourself occupied with something else." he spoke, waving his hand in the opposite direction.

He looked, just over the top of the book, and watched for any sign of movement from her. But she kept staring, directly at his face, as though something were wrong with it.

"Gin-chan?" she asked, biting down innocently on her left index finger.

"Huh?"

"Is strawberry ice cream really so good?" she asked, Gintoki feeling his annoyance increasing a slight bit.

"Ah, strawberry milk is good for you, and since ice cream is made of milk, it's just the same thing." he said, glossing over the sweetness added to ice cream. He felt his heart catch a bit in his chest as the smaller girl scooted closer to him, legs still crossed on his desk. "Do you want some?" he asked, sighing in defeat as he put his Jump down on the armrest of his chair.

"Mmm!" she answered, swinging her legs over the edge of the large desk, staring straight into those crimson eyes of his.

"Then go get some yourself!" he bit, smirking in that normal, sarcastic manner of his. The girl responded to his taunt by pouting her lips, arms crossed across her developing chest.

"Eh, but I don't have any money. Why don't you just give me some of yours?" she retorted, still looking directly at him, her face now looking more intense.

"You idiot. I used the last little bit of change I had on this. Why should I share it with you?" he bit back, laying his Jump on the desk, still opened to the page he had been reading. Resting his elbow on the desk, he stared back at the young girl, with intensity to match her own. Taking another long suck on the frozen dessert, he made exaggerated noises of satisfaction, intending to rub it in to the alien girl in front of him.

Both seemed not to notice how close their faces were to each other, eyes burning into the very soul of the other, neither wanting to give in.

"Come on, Gin-chan, just a little bit!" the young girl whined, uncrossing her arms as she leaned forward just a bit. The two remained locked in that position, the strawberry treat melting quicker and quicker. Gintoki took occasional long slurps of the sweet dessert, continuing to antagonize the young alien.

As he sucked the last bit of the ice cream off the stick, he smirked evilly at the young girl, leaning back in his chair as he tossed it into the nearby waste bin. Placing his hands behind his head, Gintoki closed his eyes, a content smirk on his face that the matter was settled.

Suddenly, he felt an odd pressure on his lap. Opening his eyes, they then widened considerably, as the light girl had jumped into his lap, pressing her lips to his. He had no idea what to do. _'What's she doing? I thought she wanted some ice cream?'_ he thought to himself, trying to make sense of the situation.

The girl in front of him seemed lost in what she was doing, eyes closed seemingly in focus. Her arms had found their way to his thighs, bracing her small frame on his body. His hands trembled, unsure exactly what he should be doing with them. Part of him knew that he should grab her, push her off, and explain the birds and the bees to her.

But as he felt her soft lips pressed against his, he felt another part of himself responding, wanting to deepen the kiss, to accept her feelings. Just when things couldn't get any more confusing, he felt her warm tongue pressing at his lips, trying to get entrance to his mouth. Closing his eyes, he gave in, parting his lips slightly to let her get a full taste of his mouth.

The girl smirked, sliding her tongue once more across his lips before pulling back from the older man. Opening her eyes, she gave him a suggestive wink, before jumping off of his lap, landing gently on the floor.

"Heh, strawberry ice cream is sweet, Gin-chan. Or maybe you are sweet, from all the sugar you eat?" she mused, giving him a devilish smile as she wandered out the door to the run down apartment.

Gintoki was speechless. '_What just happened?'_ he thought to himself, looking blankly towards the door she had just exited. Scenes of what had just happened flashing through his head, he couldn't help but chuckle, realizing that she had gotten a taste of his ice cream.

"Ah, that girl is too troublesome." he mused, picking up the Jump as he continued to think about the softness of her lips. "I'll have to get her back for this." he smirked, reading through the new chapter of One Piece.

Unknown to him, the girl had barely gotten down the stairs, resting against the near wall with her face flushed a tone of red to match her long dress.

"Heh, Gin-chan really is sweet." she whispered to herself, brushing a finger lightly across her lips, where she had been connected to the silver haired samurai only moments earlier. She hoped that the actions had conveyed her intentions, but she wasn't sure. _'He is pretty thick."_ she thought to herself, a contented smile on her face as she unfolded the umbrella, skipping happily down the street.

Things at the Yorozuya were going to be more interesting, if that was at all possible.

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**Ah, that sneaky Kagura. She might be a little too much for our lazy samurai. Anyway, how do you guys think this turned out? Was a little nervous (okay, a LOT nervous) about this one, so I am curious for feedback. Next time, we get another GinKyuu pairing (my personal preference from this series, followed closely by GinKagu). No idea on particulars, but look for it hopefully tomorrow. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03: Be careful when sleeping in a public place**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kyuubei**

**Woo, here is my third Gintama one shot. This time, our favorite silver haired samurai is sleeping peacefully in the park. But a familiar figure finds him sleeping there. What will happen? Read to find out. Read and review, please. Enjoy.**

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Laying back on the soft grass, Gintoki looked up lazily at the sky, watching as the soft, white clouds floated gracefully by. Hands folded neatly behind his head, in a makeshift pillow, he watched as they just floated, like white pieces of cotton candy against the sapphire colored sky.

Watching the peaceful, clear sky was relaxing, a way to forget all the stresses of his daily life. All the worries about aliens, terrorists, rent, and other worries seemed to fade into the endless horizon. Taking a quick look around, he smirked to himself, glad he was able to get a single moment of peace.

Sighing, the young man closed his eyes, smile still plastered on his face as he let sleep overtake him. A cool breeze blew by, rustling his silver hair gently as the darkness of sleep came on. Light snores escaped his open lips, bokuto sitting just to his left, within arm's reach if he needed it.

Unknown to the lazy samurai, a figure belonging to a person he knew had been walking by, stopping as she noticed the young man. Brushing a stray strand of blue hair from her face, the young girl took a few hesitant steps toward the one time enemy. Feeling the cool breeze against her smooth skin, she felt an odd smile creep onto her innocent face, watching as the monstrously powerful young man slept, as if the world could not harm him at all.

It was strange. She had never considered that someone so strong could be so defenseless, laying in the open park, where anyone could be waiting to attack him. As she approached him, she just watched, thinking that he might just be pretending to sleep, and was in fact ready to strike at any moment. The young girl had been taught in a strict manner, and so would never even consider leaving herself so open to attack.

Standing over him, she watched his innocent sleeping face, wondering if this was indeed the same man who had defeated her so completely previously. Suddenly she had an idea. Straightening her face into a focused expression, she gripped the hilt of her sword, pulling it from the sheath. Licking her lips in determination, she pointed the sharp edge toward the sleeping samurai. Her face showed a look of surprise, as he did not budge even an inch. He still lay perfectly still, completely defenseless. The only indication that he was even alive was the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Sighing in some measure of defeat, the young girl put the katana back in its sheath, quirking a brow in curiosity at this man. _'What a mysterious man.'_ she thought. As she considered him, the girl felt somehow compelled to sit, and observe his actions. She found herself sitting next to him, knees drawn up toward her chest as she watched his rhythmic breathing.

Letting her katana rest next to his wooden sword, she looked curiously at the odd piece of wood. _'Does he fight with this thing?'_ she thought, somewhat confused by the thought of it. Reaching out tentatively, the young girl picked up the wooden sword, looking over it carefully. _'Perhaps the sword is somehow lodged inside a wooden sheath?'_ she thought, looking from end to end for a possible opening for such a thing.

When she failed to find one, she looked over at the still sleeping samurai, wondering how he managed to survive using a wooden sword.

While they had used wooden swords during their previous encounter, that was due to the fact that it was essentially a game, with none being in grave danger. But when she herself was out around town, she carried a real katana. Yet, this man used a wooden sword even as a means of, assuredly, self defense. This puzzled her further.

Looking intensely at the young man, the one-eyed girl simply could not figure him out. When they had met previously, he exuded an aura of strength, as though he were someone who could handle any danger. But looking at him now, he seemed defenseless, as though he were still a child. He was almost… unreal. As though he were somehow removed from their reality, and belonged somewhere else. Somewhere on some grand stage, that she could not even fathom.

Stretching her legs out, the young girl felt an odd tiredness sweep over her, as though she were about to fall asleep any second. Maybe it was the aura of peace surrounding the man to her right. Smiling warmly to herself, Kyuubei allowed herself to lay back, hands resting behind her head in a position similar to that of the silver haired samurai.

As she lay back, hair cascading out behind her, the girl stared gently up at the clouds. The tranquility of the clear blue sky warmed her heart, and calmed her soul. Maybe this was how he was able to sleep so peacefully in so public a setting. As her eyes began to slowly close, she smiled, thinking that everything would somehow be fine. Sleep gently claimed her, resting peacefully next to the older samurai.

"Ah, my chocolate parfait…" the young man mumbled, eyes blinking as he slowly came to. Looking up, he noticed that the sky was now dark, the air having chilled a good deal since earlier in the day. He gazed lazily up at the crescent moon, its eerie white glow giving the whole park an odd feel. "Eh, guess I better get back." he spoke, the grogginess coating his words as he tried to stand up. He was confused, as his body remained in place despite his efforts.

Looking down his strong frame, he noticed what looked like a pair of slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Blinking a few times, he tried to comprehend the situation. Suddenly his eyes shot open, mouth agape as he realized what was happening. Looking over to his left, he saw the face of the younger girl, peacefully sleeping away.

'_AH, this is bad. How am I going to explain this? No, no, no, no, there must be some mistake. I must be dreaming. Yeah, that must be it.'_ he tried to reason to himself, watching the innocent face of the younger girl. Before he could even say anything, he felt the arms grip him tightly, the girl smiling as she sighed contentedly. Gintoki could only gawk, staring confusedly at the girl.

"Hmph. Guess everyone has their circumstances." he muttered softly, carefully extricating himself from her vice grip. Standing up, the silver haired samurai rubbed the small kink out of his shoulder, cracking his back as he leaned backwards. Rolling his neck a couple times, he then looked down at the sleeping form of the young girl.

Sighing in frustration, he leaned down, sweeping the girl up into his arms. Cradling her in his strong arms, he then reached over, picking up the two swords, slipping them into his sash as he shifted the girl into a bridal position, her legs hanging gently over his arm as the other braced her small back.

Looking around, Gintok noticed the emptiness of the park, and was somewhat glad for the time of night. He would likely be murdered by a certain angry woman if he were spotted in this position.

Walking slowly toward his small office, the lazy samurai listened to the young girl's rhythmic breathing, smiling at the innocent face she could give off in her sleep.

"At least the Young Master isn't so serious all the time." he spoke to himself, hoping not to wake the young woman in his arms.

Finally, he reached the narrow stairway that led to his small office above Otose's Snack Shop, walking past the small sign that indicated so. Shifting the girl in his arms to open the door, he peered inside, hoping that nobody was home. Feeling the coast was clear, he slowly entered the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

Narrowing his eyes as he tried to peer through the darkness, Gintoki made his way towards the small couch, gently placing the sleeping girl on the firm cushion. Standing back up, he looked down at her, sighing in something akin to frustration. "Always causing trouble for other people." he muttered, sitting on the chair opposite the couch.

"Oh well. Sleep well." he spoke, as he watched her intently. Propping her katana against the couch, he slowly made his way out of the place. Casting a glance back, he smiled, closing the door as he headed off into the night.

Sure, there would probably be explanations to go through in the morning, but that was a few hours away. He would deal with that when it came. So as he disappeared into the bright lights of the Kabuki District, the young girl peacefully slept on his couch, a contented warmth spreading through her body. That night, she had odd dreams, ones she had never experienced before.

Dreams of a blue haired girl, and a silver haired samurai.

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**Aww, pure GinKyuu fluff. Hopefully the next oneshot with this pairing will have some substance to it. Though, I do like fluff. Eases my tense mind. Anyway, next time I will either do another GinKagu oneshot, or try a GinTae (probably flip a coin or something). Let me know how this one came out. Thanks to all you readers. Comments and reviews always welcome, positive or otherwise.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04: Gambling is only for the rich and desperate**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: technically Gintoki x Tae**

**Well, since you demanded it, here is my first attempt at GinTae fic. Man, I must say, this was the single hardest pairing I have tried so far. Mary-sue is a hard character for me to pin down, so it took me about an hour to even come up with the idea, and it is so contrived I can hardly believe it. At some point (maybe right after the next GinKagu story) I will do a sequel to this one. Enjoy, and thoughts welcome.**

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Watching the last small, silver ball disappear into the belly of the machine, Gintoki sighed in abject defeat. Turning the knob a few more times in case something miraculously happened, the silver haired young man begrudgingly made his way from the seat in front of the brightly colored machine.

Exiting the gloomy pachinko parlor, the young man looked up at the sky, the sun beginning to set in the distance. The pink and orange hues signaled the end of another day, which he had wastefully spent perched in front of the same pachinko machine. The parlor, as usual, had been all too glad to take all of his "hard earned" money.

Sighing again, he lamented his pathetic gambling habit, which when paired with his lack of luck, meant a constant lack of cash.

"Ah, Gin-san. What are you doing here at this time of night?" came a sweet voice from somewhere behind him. Narrowing his eyes in his normal lazy, carefree fashion, he stopped, turning his head to face the person behind him. A sweet smile beneath beautiful brunette locks greeted him.

"Ah, I was, you know, looking for something." he spoke, trying to cover up the fact that he had been gambling. He knew that if she found out, he would likely be brutally murdered.

"Oh? What are you looking for, maybe I can help to find it?" the girl answered sweetly, a smile that belied her true, brutal nature. Gintoki felt his face begin to perspire as he could swear his life was flashing before his eyes.

"Ah, it's that, you know. I was looking for my guardian angel, but only I can see her, so you should just head on back." he stumbled, trying to think of anything at all to send the younger girl off away from him.

"Guardian angel? How lucky, since I can have mine help you out." As she spoke, Gintoki could swear that he saw a large, green ogre standing behind the young girl, rubbing his eyes to dissipate the illusion.

"Umm, that is more like a demon I think." he spoke, pointing in some fear at the apparition.

"Oh, Gin-san, always the kidder." she spoke as sweetly as anyone could, but the silver haired samurai felt a near crackle in the air.

"Ah! Look, a sale on Bargain Dash!" he exclaimed, pointing in a random direction. As she looked greedily in the direction he pointed, the young man bolted for it, running as fast as his legs would carry him. A cloud of dust erupting behind him, he ran through alleys, past the night life of the town towards his safe haven.

But no sooner did he reach the stairs to the small apartment, looking around to check the safety, than he felt a chill run up his spine.

"Gin-san, it's not nice to lie. You were playing pachinko again, weren't you?" a sweet voice came from directly behind him, causing his whole body to shiver in fear.

"A-aa. But o-only for a l-little bit." he stuttered, faltering under the glare he knew the younger girl was giving him. As he turned his head to plead his case to the girl, he was immediately greeted by a right hook to his nose, sending him into the ground. Groaning in pain, he propped himself up, looking up in terror at the younger girl.

"That's no good, Gin-san. You can't be gambling, when you still haven't paid Shin-chan or Kagura-chan in such a long time." suddenly the sweet demeanor was gone, and her voice dripped with her threats of violence.

"W-w-wait, d-don't do anything r-r-rash now. You don't want to do something you'll regret in the morning!" he pleaded, trying to back away from the girl, who was emanating an aura of pure malice.

After a rather severe beating, Gintoki lay in the street, a near unrecognizable lump of flesh. The young girl rubbed at her fist, which ached from the pounding she had given the normally powerful young man.

"I hope this will be the last time you play pachinko, before thinking of others." she said, her sweet demeanor back. Gintoki could only mumble his reluctant acceptance of her terms. Anything to stave off another round of attacks. "Good. Now, let's tend to those wounds."

The sweetness of her voice was so strange, he thought. How could someone so mean and malicious sound so caring and warm at the same time? Heading into the small bar, Tae asked Otose for any kind of first aid she had.

"Heh, why worry about that slacker?" she grumbled, pulling out her small first aid kit.

"Eh, I can't have someone my cute little brother admires getting hurt, can I?" Tae answered sweetly, eliciting an incredulous groan from the older man.

'_You are the one who did this though.' _he thought to himself, baffled by her manner of ignoring her unpleasant aspects. Sitting at a small table, he watched as she carefully administered the first aid, flinching slightly as she rubbed some iodine onto his open wounds. _'She is pretty good at this. She must get a lot of practice.'_ he smirked, imagining the harsh environment Shinpachi must have grown up in.

"There, all better." the young girl smiled, looking warmly at the older samurai. "Well, I better get back. It is pretty late. Take care of yourself, Gin-san." she spoke, smiling that beautiful smile as she turned to walk out.

"Aa. Have a good evening." the lazy samurai answered, waving somewhat sarcastically at the girl as she left. He looked at her inquisitively as she stopped, turning around slowly to stare at him.

"Oh, isn't it a gentleman's duty to escort a defenseless lady home when it is so late at night?" she spoke, giving him the distinct impression that it was more of an order than a suggestion.

"A-aa. Would you let me walk you home?"

"Oh, that is so sweet of you Gin-san. Thank you for the offer."

'_But you're not a defenseless girl.'_ he thought, images of her utter brutality flashing in his head. Standing up slowly, he walked over to the girl, quirking a brow upward as she hooked her arms around his. Sighing, he began to walk, heading in the direction of the Shimura's dojo.

Walking slowly, Gintoki found himself glancing occasionally in the direction of the young girl attached to his arm. Seeing her smiling that way, he realized she was actually rather cute. He wondered if there was any man who would be able to handle her violent temper. Even the Gorilla would have a hard time with it.

"Ah, Gin-san, it's a lottery. How about you give it a try?" she spoke, pointing towards a random booth set up on the street side. Even though it was late at night, the small booth had a decent size crowd around it. _'The prize must be pretty good.'_ Gintoki thought, as the younger girl pulled him towards the set up.

"Oh, you young man, how about giving it a try?" the middle aged man spoke, pointing directly at Gintoki. Groaning in discomfort, Gintoki tried to think of a way to get out of it, his bad luck never allowing him to win a contest.

"Yes, he would like to try." the young brunette spoke for him, giving him an oddly warm, caring look, to which he could only begrudgingly accept. Gripping the small handle, he gave an unenthusiastic spin, waiting for the small orb to drop out of the wheel.

"Oh, we have a winner!" the older man spoke, raising up the gold orb for everyone to see.

"That's why I don- wait, I won?!" he spoke, shocked at the result. Looking at the man running the contest, he was assured that he had won, and the silver haired man was speechless. This was the first time he had won a contest of any kind, so it took him quite by surprise.

"That's great, Gin-san." Tae spoke, clasping her hands together as she gazed at him.

"Aa. So, what did I win old man?" he asked, suddenly wondering if there was something else going on here.

"Why, a trip for two to a lovely resort in Okinawa." the older man spoke, producing two tickets. Taking the tickets in his hand, the lazy samurai looked over at the happy young girl, and his face went blue with fear.

'_So she was up to something. How do I keep getting sucked into these kinds of things…'_ he lamented to himself, sighing as he figured there was no way he could get out of this.

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**That Tae is so sneaky, trapping Gintoki that way. But, what is she truly planning? Needless to say, the sequel to this one will have the romance bits, and I hope I can keep them relatively in character. This was a hard one, as every idea I came up with had Tae grossly OOC, which I don't like doing too much. But, let me know how it turned out. Reviews always welcome. Next time, second attempt at GinKagu. Look forward to it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Always listen to your woman, unless you have a desire for pain**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Tae (Part 2 of the previous story)**

**Wow, been a long time since I wrote a Gintama fic, so I hope I'm not too rusty. Some of you might be thinking 'I thought there was already a Chapter 5'. Well, you would be right, but I made a difficult decision. I decided to take that previous Chapter 5 and retool it, eventually to be released as a standalone story. Probably 10 parts or so, so look out for that one eventually. I decided to replace it with the continuation for the GinTae fic I started in Chapter 4. **

**That said, this is the second of, hopefully, 3 parts. This one is a bit of what we might call filler, as it takes place on the trip to 'Okinawa'. The next one will have the romance and stuff in it, so keep a look out for it. Enjoy the GinTae fluff, and I hope it doesn't get TOO OOC.

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Looking up at the towering structure in the center of Edo, Gintoki had a chill run down his spine. Diverting his eyes from the ominous structure to the small piece of paper in his hand, he felt the color in his face change tints.

"T-there must be some mistake, right?" he asked, turning to the cute brunette to his left. The sister of his underling looked at him in a way as though to insinuate that he was on some kind of drugs, and that what was occurring was completely expected and normal. Looking to the piece of paper once more, the silver haired samurai could not shake the feeling that some kind of disaster was about to befall him, and ran excuses through his head in an attempt to find a way to weasel out of going.

It had been two weeks since he had "won" the small lottery in the market, and had been roped into accompanying Shinpachi's sister on a vacation to Okinawa. Normally, a vacation to the tropical climate would be just the thing he was looking for. But accompanying such a dangerous woman as Shimura Tae proved to be trying both emotionally and physically.

"Shall we go?" she younger girl asked sweetly, hooking her arm around his own, equal parts sweet gesture and restraint technique. It was as though she could read his mind, sensing that he was still looking for a way out. With a sigh of utter defeat, Gintoki made his way slowly towards the Terminal, figuring he may as well get the ordeal over with. But something kept nagging at the back of his head, from the day he had been ordered to do the drawing until now.

'_What is she planning? And why did I have to be the one to do it?'_ That thought had been bothering him, and continued to run its way through his mind, even as they entered the large alien structure. In the back of his mind, the young man kept thinking that maybe it was just a short distance trip they would be taking, and it would be a smooth trip to the small Japanese island. Looking at the vehicle that greeted them, however, stopped that thought. As he looked at the large blue ship, his worst fears had been realized.

"What's wrong, Gin-san?" the young woman asked, a trace of genuine concern on her voice as she looked at him. Locking his near crimson tinted spheres with her soft brown eyes, he briefly saw her for what she was, and not what she seemed to him. He saw a beautiful young woman, full of innocence and life. The image that ran through his head was the exact opposite of the image he had built up, of an ogre with near unlimited strength and brutality.

"Ah, it's nothing." he answered evasively, diverting his gaze from hers back towards the ship. The samurai could feel the tension rising inside him at the prospect of going into outer space. While he had made peace with the alien takeover of Earth, Gintoki still did not feel quite comfortable flying into space, a feeling only strengthened on his other treks outside Earth's atmosphere. Not a feeling of fear, or anything like that. It was just a lack of comfort. He knew where he was most at peace, and that was in his town, with his group of friends.

With one final tug from the young girl on his arm, Gintoki found himself aboard a large vessel, surprisingly comfortable in terms of the accommodations. Being the gentleman, Gin grabbed both bags, pushing them into the overhead compartment. Being as sure as possible that they were secured tightly, he reluctantly took his seat. He watched the younger girl as she took her own seat right next to him, no signs of tension in her body as she got comfortable for the long flight.

Figuring that things could be worse, he made sure to call the stewardess over quickly to ply him with alcohol. Sipping down the dangerous liquid, the samurai tried to get as comfortable as he could. Leaning into the soft material at his back, all the tension seemed to nearly dissipate.

As he sat in the plush seat, in what he assumed must be first class, the silver haired young man cast a sideways glance towards his partner for the upcoming adventure, and all sorts of thoughts ran through his mind. For all his experience with people, he never seemed to genuinely understand what this woman was thinking. Just as he thought to ask why she had wanted him to come along, a crackling sound echoed throughout the cabin, signaling the activation of the loudspeaker.

"Good afternoon passengers." A soft voice rang from the speaker, a somewhat female tone to the voice, but smooth and still pleasant to listen to. "We will be taking off shortly, so be sure that you are buckled in tightly, and please turn off any electrical devices." As the voice rattled off the pre-flight checklist, Gintoki felt a sense of sleepiness washing over him. He never had been interested in following the directions of others.

Figuring it would be alright to take a short nap, the young man closed his eyes, hoping that the flight might be more pleasant if he was asleep. The small amount of liquor he had drunk made the task easier, as only a moment after closing his eyes, dreams coursed through his carefree mind.

As he slept, snoring every so often, his subconscious mind could not shake a feeling of pressure against his shoulder, creating a dream in which a small wound could be felt on that spot. His shoulder felt heavy as blood drained from the cut, soaking his white coat red with his blood. While the dream was going on, the young man occasionally winced, a sound that drew attention from others in the large cabin.

Unbeknownst to him, a certain young woman had awaken from her position next to him, lifting her head from his shoulder as she listened to his winces and groans of agony. Somehow it pained her to see Gintoki, who was normally so carefree and irresponsible, suffering even in a dream. She found herself simply watching his pained expression, a small tension forming in her chest as she watched the young samurai. "I wonder what he is dreaming about…?" she wondered to herself, finding herself leaning forward slightly as she gazed at him.

Coming out from his nightmare, Gintoki lurched forward, breathing heavily as he felt an odd sensation on his forehead. Reaching his hand up, he noticed a small bruise forming on his forehead, his blood chilling as he realized what may have happened. Slowly turning his head to the side, he expected to see a look of anger on the face of the young woman after he had bumped heads with her. Holding his hands out in reflexive action, he closed his eyes as he leaned his head the opposite direction.

But the beating did not come. However, he felt an odd warmth in his hands, a soft feeling emanating through his extremities. At that time, the chilled blood in his body turned to ice as he looked in the direction his hands had reached. Noticing the soft fabric being rustled by his hands, he slowly let his eyes drift up the young woman's slender frame. Just before the usual cheery smile to indicate a beating was imminent, he could swear he saw a look of… concern? But why would she…

His thoughts were interrupted as a fist found its way into his nose, making any thought impossible. _'So much for the sweet Tae-san…'_ he thought somewhat bitterly as he watched her quickly make her way to the bathroom. Slumping back into his seat, he felt a different sort of weariness wash over him, as unconsciousness set in. This time, dreams of a world with no amanto flashed through his mind, brought about by a single female warrior.

Slamming the door shut behind her, Tae leaned against the small sheet of metal, her hands clutching tightly at her chest. Working at a bar such as the one she did, being fondled by drunk men was not something altogether foreign to her. Yet, somehow, when Gintoki had done it, an odd sense ran through her. Somewhere between panic and relief, stress and pleasure. Running the feeling through her head over and over again, she realized she didn't really know anything about the young man.

She had seen his displays of impressive swordsmanship again and again, and the lengths he would go to in order to save his friends. He had been wounded and come back from the occasional mission completely exhausted, often flopping down on the sofa in his small office. But none could claim they truly understood his complicated thought processes. It bothered her that she could not read him, as reading people was a skill that was necessary in her line of work.

But she could not figure out what caused her heart to race so when he had grabbed her, even if it was an effect of his reflexes after so many beatings. It was then that she realized that her head hurt, and realized that as he had woken up, Gintoki had bumped heads with her. Running her left hand over her forehead, she winced a bit as she found the spot that was beginning to bruise. "His dream must have been pretty bad…" she whispered, the warm, tingling feeling in her chest cooling down, replaced with a mild worry. Maybe that was what made him so intriguing.

After a few minutes of cooling off, Tae made her way back to her seat, barely stifling a giggle as she watched the young man sleep. A small trail of drool dripped down his chin, threatening to fall onto his oddly style coat. With a small smile, she produced a handkerchief from her own kimono, carefully wiping the small amount of fluid from his face. Sitting back in her seat, the brunette watched the young samurai sleep. He looked remarkably innocent, a feeling that went directly against some of the rumors that spread about him.

The fearsome "White Devil" from the Amanto War was someone that everyone knew of, and none would equate that with the carefree idiot known to all as Sakata Gintoki. The young girl wondered if maybe some of the things he experienced in the war were responsible for his style of living. Or maybe he was just that carefree from the start. With a sigh, the young woman leaned back in her seat, hoping that the trip would not be too long. As sleep threatened to overtake her, she didn't notice as her hand lay idly against his large, warm hand. The warmth she felt was so soothing, so comforting to her. As she fell asleep, their fingers intertwined, and she had the sweetest dreams she could remember for some time.

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**Aww, they are so sweet together. I would think they make a good couple, if Tae didn't have such a propensity for violence. Next time the conclusion for the vacation, and I haven't decided if I want it to be really innocent and sweet, or more mature and spicy. Opinions welcome, and hopefully I get more Gintama fics done soon. Love this series tremendoudly. All comments welcome.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mary sue knows best**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Tae**

**I always find myself wondering, her name is Tae, and not Otae, right? Maybe it is just me? Anyway, this is the last part of my little GinTae story. OOC more than likely, but I hope it's not too bad. They really are good together, so hopefully you all like this conclusion. Sweetness ensues, so you have been warned. Enjoy, and comments always welcome.

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Looking out the small circular window, Gintoki watched as the destination came into view. An odd looking ball of land, there seemed to be an odd almost half and half split between the land and the sea. The water looked crisp and blue against the lush greens that made up the land mass. As they got closer, he could make out distinct streaks of beige along the edges of the land, signaling where the beaches were. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips as he watched the land come closer into view.

"What is it, Gin-san?" her sweet voice echoed from his other side. Turning a bit, he watched as she rubbed traces of sleep from her eyes. With a gentle tilt of his head, Gintoki motioned that they were almost there. As he did, she leaned across his body, sending a trace of her sweet scent wafting into his nostrils. A few strands of her silky smooth brown hair brushed against his cheek, and he felt an odd sort of shiver run through him.

"Wow, this place is just as beautiful as I had heard." the soft tone to her voice made the small shivers a bit worse, her voice pleasant on his ears as he listened to the words just roll out of her mouth. As she watched the craft drop into the planet's atmosphere, hands resting just off of his legs, Gintoki felt himself getting a bit warm, hoping it was just the descent causing the heat. Before he could think of an explanation, the announcer came on.

"Ah, we will be descending in a minute. Please be sure that you have your seatbelts securely fastened, and please make sure all electronic devices are turned off." The oddly pleasant male voice was replaced with a more gruff voice, as though he were gargling marbles in his mouth as he spoke. As Tae shifted back into her seat, Gintoki could swear he saw a tint of pink on her cheeks, something he had not seen before.

Settling back into his own seat a bit, he waited for the craft to touchdown on the surface, hoping that nothing managed to malfunction at the last minute. With the odd events in his life, it was not something he would take for granted, and he felt his hands clutching at the edge of the armrest to his seat. The knuckles turned white, and he felt the blood rush throughout his body in anticipation. He would never admit it, but descending such a distance always made him nervous.

With a loud thud, the craft made its landing, eliciting a sigh of relief from the young samurai. Looking to his side, he hoped that Tae had not noticed. If she did, she did not show it, and he felt his face warm up a bit at the innocence that shone in her soft brown eyes_. '__She does look cute sometimes.'_ he thought to himself, smirking at the thought as he undid his seatbelt. Standing from his seat, he grabbed both their bags, bowing almost sarcastically as his friend exited just ahead of him.

Rushing through the processing, the pair made their way out of the Terminal on the planet, feeling their eyes shrink a bit from the sudden light that greeted them. After a minute, their eyes adjusted, and they were both surprised by just how beautiful the scenery was at this destination. High in the sky sat the local star, bright and yellowish-white against the crystalline looking sky.

Blue met blue off in the horizon, the tints of the sky and sea near matching hues. The beach looked nearly white in tone, contrasting with the lush greenery that could be seen all around them. Heads shifting from side to side, they slowly walked through the large structure's surroundings. Without realizing it, they bumped into a large blue alien, a pair of large horns sticking out from his head.

"Ah, sorry pal." Gintoki excused the pair, noticing the fancy attire that the being wore. Underneath the large black suit, the samurai could tell that the alien was rather solidly built and did not budge as he was bumped into.

"Sakata Gintoki and Shimura Tae, correct?" the alien spoke, hands neatly behind his back as he spoke, almost like a military officer might stand. With weak nods, the alien sighed in relief, slumping a bit in his posture, eliciting mildly confused looks from the two. "Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Reinhard, and I will be the one to show you around for the next few days." Gintoki and Tae were both taken aback that such a gruff looking alien would have such a human name, but thought better of asking about it.

Reluctantly, Gintoki handed the bags to the large alien, following with Tae towards a rather fancy looking car. Raising a brow in confusion, he turned to look towards the brunette, who only smiled warmly at him. Sighing a bit, he followed suit, slipping his elbow into the loose sleeve of his coat, letting is hang loosely as he approached the jet black vehicle.

Taking a seat in the comfortable vehicle next to his subordinate's sister, he leaned his chin on his palm, watching green pass through his vision as the vehicle moved quite quickly. Closing his eyes, the young samurai inhaled deeply, taking in the salty scent of the beach, feeling all the tension simply drain out of his body.

"It really is beautiful here, isn't it Gin-san?" Tae's soft voice brought him out of his mild delirium, training his crimson eyes on the brunette to his left. As he caught a look at her simple smile, he felt an odd sensation in his chest. He had seldom felt such a thing, and hoped that it was not anything more than the climate affecting him.

"Eh, it's pretty nice." he answered, trying to sound disinterested as he shifted his gaze out the window opposite the brunette beauty. Watching the trees and tall grass pass by, he felt the vehicle begin to slow down. Gintoki felt his eyes widen, watching a rather impressive structure come into view.

Not overly large, but still fancy looking, the structure was a single level. Thick, red tiles hung on the roof, pairing with the bright white paint to give a breathtaking contrast. Crystal clear windows allowed one to see into the building, save for the glint of the local star against the cold glass. As the car pulled up to the building, Gintoki could tell the delighted expression that graced Tae's face. He was reminded yet again that she was really quite cute, and again came that warm feeling in his chest. With a small wince, Gintoki knew what was causing the tightness in his chest, and he hoped it wouldn't cause him too much physical pain this vacation.

As they approached the door to the beautiful building, the pair listened as the car drove off, leaving them alone with a spectacular view of the beach beyond. The white sand nearly sparkled under the shining light, pairing with the glistening sea. It was truly a paradise. Looking to his right, Gintoki looked to Tae for some clue as to what they might have planned.

"Ah, I guess we should relax on the beach first, don't you think Gin-san?" she asked so sweetly, that he nearly felt the same satisfaction as when he ate a rich parfait. Gintoki wondered briefly if there might be some sort of trap, some hidden agenda for her suggesting such a thing right off the bat.

"I guess that would be alright." he suggested weakly, mentally preparing for some sort of physical pain. Making their way into the comfortable little house, the pair made their way to the separate bathrooms, taking in the sights of the fancy furniture as they walked.

"Oh, Gin-san. Make sure not to peek, alright?" Tae spoke in that sweet tone that made it clear that her words were more a threat than any kind of suggestion. As he watched her disappear into one bathroom, he stood in place for an instant longer. It had actually not occurred to him to peak at her until she had mentioned it. For a brief instant, he considered looking for some way to do so, but the now reflexive self defense when he was around her kicked in, and he decided against it.

Scratching his head lazily, he headed for the other bathroom, pulling his own swimwear from his black bag. Closing the door behind him, he quickly stripped down, sliding the dark blue trunks up his legs, tying it off quickly. Once sure the garment was secured, he slid on a large white t-shirt, and then made his way back out into the large room in the front of the house. Noticing that Tae was not done, he took the opportunity to walk around a bit more, getting a feel for the place.

The furniture all had a soft bundle of padding, covered with a fine silk-like material, dark colors contrasting with the light hues of the wood and the rest of the structure. Taking a seat on the chair, Gintoki looked out the window, watching a small wave crash against the white beach. He was actually anxious to get out there. As he watched the subtle crash of waves on sand, he was brought back to the present as the other bathroom door clicked open.

"Eh, it's about ti-" he was stopped midway as he caught a sight of Tae exiting the small room. Her skin was milky looking and smooth, not a blemish to be seen anywhere. The girl's features accented greatly by the tight fitting black bikini, a material that seemed to almost shine as it caught the traces of light from outside. A loose sash hung from her hips, a tone only a few shades lighter than her skin. She was, in a word, stunning.

As he watched her, Gintoki could swear that the girl began to fidget a bit under his gaze, her cheeks a rosy pink hue to match her usual kimono. She was quite beautiful looking, and the silver haired young man had to catch himself from spurting blood from his nose at the sight of her.

"P-please, don't stare like that Gin-san…" Something about her seemed completely different from usual, and it was impossible for him to reconcile this version of the girl with her usual demeanor. A sudden chill ran through him, as though someone were watching him. Casting a suspicious look around the room, he shook the feeling off as he saw nothing out of place.

"Ah, sorry." he muttered lazily, rubbing the back of his head as he headed for the front door, motioning for the young girl to follow. "And, you look really great." he mumbled as she passed him. If he had not known better, he would have sworn he heard a delighted gasp from the young girl. Shaking that thought from his mind, he headed out to the beach, watching the subtle sway of her hips as she walked. Just then he was glad that she could not read his mind, as she certainly would have murdered him where he stood.

But he did not notice the subtle, sly smile that crossed her lips. '_I guess there's still hope for you yet, Gin-san.'_ the girl thought to herself, realizing that he was indeed interested. It made her oddly happy to be the object of Gintoki's eyes, despite not really knowing why herself. He was a lazy, irresponsible slacker, who seemed to have no good qualities to claim. Yet, she had seen him come through when it truly mattered, the sign of a quality individual.

Feeling the swish of sand between their toes, the pair made their way onto the beach, feeling the heat of the sun on their skin, warming them up as they walked. It was a tropical kind of atmosphere, the kind of weather that was perfect for swimming. The odd spray of seawater added a soft glisten to their skink, playing nicely against the warm sun. Looking around, Gintoki noticed a large parasol, tilting his head in its direction for Tae to follow.

Taking measures to be sure he was ahead of Tae, Gintoki made sure that he would not have the problem of staring, an offense he did not want to risk any reprisals over. Still, he could not help but try and shift a gaze to the woman behind him. Her look was irresistible, and he was oddly glad that there was nobody around for a great distance.

Reaching the parasol, the young man let out a long sigh of relief, flopping down quickly on the towel as soon as he had set it. Propping his head up with his hands, he looked at the sea, staring off into the distance. Seeing the crystal blue sea brought back thoughts of home, and he felt oddly lonely without his loyal group around him. Closing his eyes briefly, he let the sounds of rushing water fill his thoughts. But no sooner had he settled, than he felt a familiar presence to his right.

"Why so close?" he asked without even opening his eyes, sighing in frustration at the girlish giggle that sounded to his side. Opening his eyes, he looked over towards the young brunette, his eyes widening as he noticed how close the two were to each other. Before he could make a motion to gain a bit more space, she decided to speak.

"I bet you've been wondering why I would make you come out here with me, right?" she asked, eliciting a wince from the young man. '_Is she a freaking psychic or something?'_ he wondered to himself, keeping his gaze on the young woman. He watched as she pulled her knees close to her chest, hugging them closely as she continued.

"You know how much Shinpachi and Kagura love you, right?" she asked again, drawing a confused look from the young man. He nodded, mumbling his recognition of the fact. "I just wanted to see what it was about you that draws people to you, Gin-san." his heart nearly stopped in its tracks at her words. Gintoki had never thought himself charismatic or popular, and had always gotten a feeling that people rather disliked his company. Not that it bothered him too much.

But somehow, thinking that Tae wanted to spend time with him made him happy, a fact that curled his lips into a content smile. He listened as the young girl continued, taking her words to heart.

"You've done so much more for them than I ever could. I don't know how you-" he didn't give her a chance to finish, as he reached out, pulling her light frame atop his own, her face only an inch from his as he gazed into her eyes. Gintoki watched her face light up as his crimson orbs stared into her very soul. He snickered a bit as she began to fidget atop his strong body, the normal strength of the 'Great Demon King' completely gone. She turned her gaze away from him, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks at his intense stare.

"Baka. Those guys are only strong because of you. Shinpachi cares about you a lot, and Kagura looks up to you. They both love you as a big sister, and there's lots of things I can't do, that you can." As he spoke, he noticed that she began to fidget less, taking it as a sort of approval for the actions. Circling his arms around her waist, he felt her sweet breath on his skin. Gin watched as her eyes began to show something that he had not seen in such a long time, that he could hardly recognize it.

"Gin-san…" her voice as barely more than a whisper, her face the same tone as her normal pink kimono. Just with that, she knew what it was that had drawn all those people to him. Now it seemed it was drawing her as well. Surrendering any pretenses, she leaned down, closing the short distance between their lips.

Gin could not help but smile, savoring the sweet warmth the emanated from the spot where they joined. He felt her tongue pressing hard into his mouth, pressing against his own. He had experienced physical joy before, and this was something he knew he would hope for again.

"Ah, I guess we're going to have to have a long talk, eh?" he asked somewhat sarcastically, drawing a delighted giggle from the young brunette on top of him.

"Well, we still have plenty of time left to ourselves. What would you like to do, Gin-san?" The suggestive tone to her voice sent shivers up his spine, and he was suddenly quite glad that he had come on the trip after all.

He laughed loudly as a thought occurred to him. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" he asked, feigning hurt at the idea.

"Hmm, what do you think?" she answered, a teasing tone to her own voice giving him all sorts of ideas. This was going to be a fun vacation after all.

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**Aww, Tae's plan worked to perfection it would seem. They really do seem to have a special chemistry in the series, so I kind of played off of that. Reviews are always welcome, to let me know how it came out. **

**Next time, I start with a batch of Gintoki x Kagura fics. Not enough of that pairing here for my taste, so I will have to try and change that. Look forward to it, all.  
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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Surprises await in everyday situations**

**Rating: T to be safe (some somewhat heavy kissing)**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**Here is my newest chapter for this story, featuring Gintoki and Kagura. The premise is pretty simple. The trio head out to sea on another of Gintoki's brilliant money making ideas to man a fishing boat. Surprises for the young samurai ensue. **

**I tried making this one just a tad racier than the previous GinKagu story I wrote, a trend I will likely keep up until I find an upper limit, which I hope you all will help with by way of comments. Anyway, enjoy the Gintoki x Kagura fluff.

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As he held the large fishing rod in place, he tried his best to drown out the sickening wretches coming from the young red-head some distance away. Casting a glance sideways, he noticed her hanging limply over the side of the small boat, his bespectacled underling rubbing her back carefully. Each time her body convulsed, he felt his head get closer to exploding. Shinpachi whispered words of condolence to the young girl, leaving Gin to do all the contracted work, as seemed rather common with their group.

It was a simple enough matter to handle. Word had come in about an easy way to make a little money, which the Yorozuya trio were desperately in need of. All they had to do was spend a little time on a fishing boat, and they would make a killing. Gintoki had originally thought of sneaking off to do the task himself, and take all the money for himself as well. But things being how they were for him, his pair of followers still managed to tag along.

The fact that they tagged along wasn't what was bothering him at this current moment, however. It was far more irksome to him that while there were three able bodied people around, he still ended up the only one doing any work. Shinpachi had proved almost completely incapable of catching anything, and Kagura had spent a great deal of the time with some sickness. He hoped it wasn't seasickness, or there would be no help at all from her.

After a few minutes, he had enough of listening to the sickening wet sounds of the young alien girl barfing into the endless sea around them. "Gah, why did you two even come if you're not going to help!?" he yelled, a sarcastic bitterness to his voice as he spoke, a stitch forming on his forehead as he gained their attention. His chest heaving from the sudden outburst, he felt a cold wind blow by, as if nature itself was telling him that he had made some kind of mistake.

Shinpachi looked at him with something resembling surprise, hardly able to recall a time when Gintoki had sounded genuinely angry before. Sure, he yelled a large number of times, but usually that was when it was deserved, or had an underlying tone of humor to it. Never before had he truly seemed angry with his friends. He watched Gintoki's crimson eyes as they shifted from him to the young girl, her head no longer craned over the railing of the small boat.

The look in Gintoki's eyes nearly instantly went from one of anger and frustration to concern and apology, tilting his head downward as he went back to his work, picking up the large fishing pole as he sat down. Bringing his attention back to the sea was no help, as the silver haired samurai could only see Kagura's hurt look as he stared at the ocean. "Dammit…" he muttered, not knowing what he could do in order to apologize.

Casting another sidelong glance, he watched as Shinpachi escorted the younger girl down into the cabin of the boat, and he could swear he heard sobs coming from the young girl. He felt bad for letting his frustration get the better of him, and cursed himself for yelling at the girl. But as he sat there, fishing rod in hand, he had plenty of time to think, finding his thoughts centering on the little alien girl that had thrust herself into his life and never let go.

She was always upbeat and positive, one of the few people who seemed to be on his exact wavelength at any given time. Kagura had become his sort of partner, the one dressing in the idiotic costumes with him, making any situation nearly explode in stupid hijinx. As he thought about all the times they argued, and all the times she managed to make him smile, a smile found itself tugging at his lips. "Stupid girl. If you were sick you should have stayed home…" he whispered, eyes still trained on the ocean.

"She's resting, Gin-san." Shinpachi shook from his sort of daydream, taking a seat right beside the man he had come to respect. Gintoki nodded his acknowledgement, watching as the younger boy picked up his own fishing pole, casting the reel into the deep ocean.

"What's wrong with her?" Gintoki asked, not taking his sight from the ocean as he did. Waiting for some response from the younger kid, the natural permed young man hoped it was the kind of thing that would be cured with no real effort. Just bedrest and relaxation.

"I'm not sure. I think she might have food poisoning." Shinpachi ventured fearfully, hoping that Gintoki wouldn't worry too much. "But I think it's almost out of her system." he added, noticing with some delight the relief that showed on his partner's face.

"How the hell would she get something like that?" Gintoki wondered aloud, forcing his face into a more stern look as he spoke. With a grunt if frustration, he set the large fishing pole down just to his left, leaning back to soak in the Sun's rays. Folding his hands behind his head, he listened to Shinpachi talk about his theory on what got Kagura sick.

"Well, from what she told me, the day before we left for this little excursion, she noticed something near the back of the fridge. It looked like a piece of chocolate cake. Since it was near the back, she figured that nobody was going to eat it, so she took the liberty." As Shinpachi spoke, Gintoki felt his face turn blue. He remembered that he had left that piece of cake there some time ago, and had forgotten all about it. He was rather grateful that it was not him dealing with all the vomiting and sickness, but felt even worse for yelling at Kagura.

"She'll be fine in a day or two right?" Gin asked, hoping the amount of concern didn't show too much on his voice. He noticed the sly smile that crossed the younger man's face, and felt a twinge of irritation at the sight.

"Yeah, she'll be fine." the glasses wearing boy stated, realizing that Gintoki was indeed concerned for the young girl. He watched with some curiosity as the older man stood from his spot, using the restroom as an excuse to head into the cabin. Figuring he was going to check up on the young alien girl, Shinpachi focused out on the ocean, pulling hard on the line as he felt a heavy tug. "Fishing isn't so hard." he whispered confidently, reeling in a large fish.

As he descended the short staircase into the cabin, Gintoki winced a bit as he heard what sounded like slow sobbing. Mentally slapping himself for yelling as he had, he slowly peeked his head into the doorway, looking for signs of the younger girl. After scanning the room for a moment, he noticed the small form in the center of the room, her large purple quilt drawn tightly over her.

Taking in a deep breath, he carefully made his way into the room, slowly approaching the girl with as much care as he could muster. Each time the small boat rocked, he panicked, fearing that the girl would awake and have to run quickly to hurl some more. But as he approached her, he let the breath out, relieved that she still seemed to be asleep.

Taking a seat near the girl, Gin leaned back against a nearby wall, listening to the soft sounds of the girl's breathing. Pulling his left leg up towards his chest, he rested the arm upon it, looking idly up at the roof of the cabin. "Dammit, how can you sleep so soundly?" he muttered to himself, finding a caring smirk on his face.

"Sorry Gin-chan." her gentle voice wiped the smirk off his face. Turning his head, he watched as the red head slowly peeled the quilt down, to a point where her crystal blue eyes were visible. Small, slender fingers gripped the purple fabric, her eyes looking as though she might burst into tears at any given moment. Clicking his tongue, he turned his head away from the girl, but made no move to get up.

"Idiot, don't apologize. It's not like you really hurt anything." he muttered, unsure quite what it was he wanted to say. Opening his right eye, he watched the girl peel a bit more of the heavy blanket off, her face nearly in her usual bright smile. Looking down a bit, he tried again. "If there's something I can do to make it up to you, just ask." he mumbled, figuring the young girl would make some request that involved food.

"I want a kiss." she stated, voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't help but giggle a bit at his reaction, watching him nearly fall onto his head from his sitting position. Kagura watched as Gin sat up straight once more, looking at her as though she had asked for the contents of the national treasury. She figured he was going to refuse, feeling a sense of disappointment at the idea, but was prepared to make an alternative suggestion.

"I can't do something like that. You're just a kid." he pointed out bluntly, wincing a bit at the hurt that showed on her face. Mustering up the courage, he continued. "But, you won't be a kid forever, you know?" At this, her face shifted to a combination of excitement and confusion.

"_What do you mean, Gin-chan?" she asked in her usual tone of voice which showed all her innocence and lack of understanding. '__She is really cute.'_ Gin thought to himself, shifting his seat so that he was a bit closer to the young alien girl. Placing his hands near her side, he leaned over a bit, staring directly into her soft blue eyes. The young man felt his face become flushed, a warmth passing through him as he watched hers do the same.

Before he could have a chance to think about it or chicken out, the girl had reached up, pulling his face down toward hers. Her eyes closed, Kagura locked her lips tightly with Gintoki's, smiling to herself at the sweetness of his kiss. She could taste all the parfaits and chocolate cakes, the pudding and all the other sweets he had eaten since they had known each other. A gentle, innocent kiss, their lips remained locked for a minute, before the pair had to break for air.

"W-what are you doing, grabbing so suddenly." Gintoki mumbled, staring at the mischievous smirk on the young girl's face.

"Aww, your kisses are sweet, just like I thought, Gin-chan." the way she talked gave him the impression that somehow this had all been planned out in advance. Figuring such a thought would get him nowhere, he sighed in frustration, positioning himself to lay next to the girl. Hands folded behind his head, he watched the roof of the cabin again, not noticing as the girl cuddled up closer to him.

Before long, she had thrown an arm over his chest, clutching tightly at his strong frame. Turning his head slightly, he blushed lightly as he noticed the red head staring at him with such a strong look of affection in her eyes. He had figured she had some kind of crush on him for some time, but never thought it would go beyond that. But the way she watched him was more than that of some girl with a crush.

"Don't look at me like that, Kagura" he said, the words coming out as more of a question than a statement. Gin found his crimson orbs locked with her sea blues, lost in the depth and beauty of her soft gaze.

"I love you, Gin-chan." the girl answered his "question", pushing her face tightly into his body before he could look at her further. His eyes simply widened, as though two large crimson saucers had taken up residence on his face. The young man was speechless. He had never heard anything like that from the girl before, and had sometimes wondered if she had any romantic inclinations at all.

"What are you saying now?" he asked, wrapping a caring arm around her shoulder. Holding the girl closer, he smiled warmly as she sighed in contentment, nuzzling against him harder. Gintoki could feel the heat from her face seeping through his kimono, eliciting a snicker at her expense.

"Hey, it's not nice to laugh at a maiden's true feelings." she whimpered against him, playfully hitting him in the chest with her hand. She was brought out of her mild delirium as she heard the young man coughing. Sitting up straight, she winced, realizing that she was stronger than a human. Concern crossed her face as she watched Gintoki cough, the result of being hit too hard.

"Jeez, we'll have to teach you some control of your strength there, Kagura." the man added, sitting up himself to get some breath. Reaching out, he rustled the young girl's hair, watching her face light up in a warm smile. He sighed again, realizing that Kagura didn't have a simple crush. "Man, this is going to be a pain." he muttered, voice no more than a whisper.

"What did you say, Gin-chan?"

"Ah, nothing." As he hoped she didn't hear what he had said, Gintoki realized that she had not seemed to feel sick since he had come into the room. "Well, I guess you're all better." he said, deciding to test his new theory.

"Oh, yeah, I guess the bad fudge is out of my system." Kagura watched Gintoki's eyes nto change a bit, yet felt a stinging sensation on her cheeks. "Ow, what are you doing?" she whimpered, feeling the pain increase by the second.

"You brat. This was all your plan all along?" he lectured, his voice showing his usual playful anger as he pinched her soft, warm cheeks.

"What plan?" she tried to sound innocent, to get away from the punishment she was receiving.

"No use playing dumb. Shinpachi said it was a bad piece of cake." he continued, a sadistic smirk on his face as the young man stretched her cheeks out of position. Gin watched her face turn blue, caught red handed in her lie. He would have to get Shinpachi back for this later, as he had clearly been in on it.

"Ah, I'm sorry Gin-chan." she whimpered, rubbing her cheeks as he finally let go. Her cheeks were a tone of red that nearly matched her soft hair. Rubbing them carefully, she hoped that they had not been stretched too out of shape. But she stopped the soothing actions as she noticed Gintoki leaning in towards her, a menacing look upon his face.

"Well, we will have to punish you two little liars some more, won't we?" Before Kagura could speak, Gin had captured her lips with his, a bit more passion in this kiss than the first. The young girl felt her breath simply leave her body, the feeling of their conjoined lips sending small tremors through her. Never had she experienced such a thing, but realized that she enjoyed it a great deal.

Small, gentle smacking sounds bounced off the walls of the small cabin as the two remained locked together, Gintoki gently pushing the girl back onto her thick quilt. Kagura clutched idly at his back, gaining a hold on the young man, his kimono bunching in her hands. As the girl began to moan in pleasure, feeling his body weighing down upon her, she realized that he had stopped.

Looking up with a delirious daze in her eyes, she noticed the sinister smirk on the face of the young samurai. Kagura watched, somewhat confused as he stood up, reaching out his hand for her to grasp. "I think that's enough punishment for one day, don't you?" he responded, as though reading her unasked question. The young girl sighed in frustration, reaching up for his hand. Feeling a bit mischievous from his actions, the girl clasped his hand, trying to bring him down towards her once more. But she was surprised as he barely made a move.

"Heh, don't take old Gin-chan for just any normal human, Kagura-chan." he seemed to gloat, noticing the surprised expression on her face. "I told you I punished you enough for _today_, so I'm not going to fall for anything else. Let's get back to work, so we don't starve to death out here." As he put the emphasis on the word 'today', Kagura felt a warmth rush through her, with all the thoughts of future days. He had been right. She was still technically a child, but she wouldn't be forever.

She figured tagging along with him until then wouldn't be so bad. Staring up at the young man, she blushed a bit heavier, wondering just how strong Gintoki truly was. Their eyes met, and the two seemed to disappear into their own world. Their eyes remained locked, as Kagura slowly came to her feet. Gin still towered over her, and she couldn't help but wonder when she would get taller. She watched idly as the sliver permed young man leaned down, planting a single, soft kiss on her lips.

"Hey, you guys should check out what I caught!!" Shinpachi's yelling woke the two from their dream state, and Kagura contemplated throwing the bespectacled young man overboard. As Gintoki walked out of the small cabin, she smiled to herself, jumping carelessly on his back, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck.

"Ah, you little brat." Gintoki muttered, his words not matching the knowing smile that crossed his lips. As the pair made their way outside, the Sun shone down brightly from its perch in the sky. They had to blink a few times to get acclimated to the conditions, and then blinked a few more times as they looked towards the young boy.

There, right next to him, sat a lovely, brown haired mermaid. Her sandy locks matched her chocolate eyes, her skin flawless under the intensely warm sun. "Ah, hello there. My name is…" the young woman could not finish her introduction as the two immediately turned back towards the cabin.

"Eh, I must be getting something myself. Something that causes hallucinations…" Gintoki muttered, trudging slowly down the steps with the young girl resting on his back.

"I guess I shouldn't have eaten that pudding after all." Kagura spoke, her tone matching his. Neither wanted to admit that they had seen the mermaid, the thought too odd to consider. Both hoped that they would be better after a short nap.

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**Gintoki is such a sucker for Kagura's devious mind :P So, how was it? Been a while since I wrote a Gintoki x Kagura story, so comments on how it came out are always appreciated. Planning for at least 3 more of this pairing before trying another one, so look forward to that, loyal readers. Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 08: Growing up can be pretty confusing at times**

**Rating: T**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**Ok, right off the bat, I don't know where the inspiration for this one came from, but I thought it would be an interesting piece to write. Basically, Gintoki catches Kagura in an... embarrassing situation. Happy stuff mostly, as usual. Let me know how it turned out, because I am not sure if it goes too far or not. That said, enjoy the GinKagu fluff.

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With a loud, dissatisfied yawn, the silver haired samurai let the morning's rays soak into his eyes, bringing the realization of a new day to his sleep addled mine. One hand scratching the back of his head as the other idly ran under his shirt, scratching his stomach as he stood up slowly. "Ah, what time is it?" he asked to himself, looking around for some kind of clock to check.

Realizing he didn't have a clock in his small bedroom, the young man sighed dejectedly, hoping that he had not missed breakfast. After a quick stop at the bathroom, he headed out towards the room used for meals. Feeling the last remnants of sleep leave his mind, he realized that there was no other people around. Usually he had to awake early to be sure he got a share of the food, before Kagura could eat it all. Giving a quick glance around the small apartment, he figured she had slept in for once, and set about cooking his own breakfast.

Popping the rice into the cooker, he then checked the fridge, hoping to find some morsels to add to the meager meal. Looking at the empty appliance, Gintoki could not help but curse. "Maybe I should stop gambling…" he lamented, not for the first time ever. Any time he was short on money, he complained of his luck in pachinko or other forms of gambling, yet was always right back once he got some cash together.

Waiting for the rice to cook, he decided to flip on the television, hoping for some good news for once. Plopping down on the sofa, he picked the remote control up, flipping idly through the channels. "Nothing on, as expected." he muttered to himself, letting the channel sit on a local news show. Looking at the time, he was even more surprised not to see Kagura up and about. Even at such a late time as 10 in the morning it was extremely rare that she would still be sleeping.

Watching the seconds tick by on the clock opposite him, Gintoki felt very bored. Somehow things weren't as interesting without Kagura around to make all the usual noise. He made no secret of the fact that he liked to be left alone, yet he found things just weren't the same by himself. So it was lucky in that case that nobody ever listened to the young man. He wasn't quite pleased to think of it that way, but he couldn't deny it.

As the timer rang through the room signaling that the rice was done, he decided to go wake the young girl up. Wouldn't be fair to eat it all himself, after all. "Oi, Kagura-chan, time to wake up." he said simply, not in a loud voice, but sound enough that anyone in the small apartment would be able to hear it.

Turning the corner of the hall into the small room which housed Kagura's closet turned sleep quarters, Gintoki felt his brows raise in confusion, muffled sounds emanating from the closet. One foot inside the room, he hesitated for a moment. The sounds kept up, echoing in his ears as he stood, locked in place. Somehow they sounded familiar, but he couldn't place them. Something told him to turn and walk right out of the room, something he might have thought to be his common sense, or his conscience.

Just as he was about to take the advice, he head a relatively loud bump, followed by a brief second of silence. Blinking a few times, he simply stared at the now quiet offshoot of the room. Craning his head in the direction of the small girl, he listened for any sound. Not hearing anything, he took a cautious step towards the small outlet, hoping that something bad wasn't about to happen.

"Kagura-chan, it's time for break-" Slowly sliding the closet door open, he was stopped in mid sentence. He noticed the girl in front of him tense up a bit as well, and he could swear that her face lit up a thousand darker shades of red. Suddenly the room seemed to be a thousand degrees, his own face lighting up in a bright blush before draining into a white to match his hair. Gintoki could feel the years disappear from his life, simply dumbstruck at the sight before him.

Laying on her side, the girl had pulled her sleep shirt up a bit, her pants rolled down to mid thigh. Finding his eyes roaming across her body, Gin realized that his "little" Kagura was growing up, realizing that her left hand had found its way to the joining point of her two legs. The other gently cupped her developing breasts, and the full gravity of the situation dawned on him.

They sat in that position for what seemed an eternity, neither able to get their minds back into gear immediately. Time seemed to have stopped for both of them, simply locked into place by the awkward situation. After a few moments, Gintoki finally regained his senses, and felt his blush lighten as he spoke. "Ah, breakfast is ready, if you're hungry." he mumbled quickly, watching as the girl finally moved to cover herself. With a slow, almost rusty movement, Gin slid the door closed, his body so tense that one might be able to hear his joints creak if they listened intently enough.

Staring at the door to the room, he felt his eyes widen, his brain sending the signals to get out as quickly as he could. He was very glad that nobody else had been there at the moment, as the situation would be beyond any explanation, and things could get really, REALLY awkward. Putting his left foot out, he tried to make it out of the place before the young girl could get herself together, hoping that it wouldn't be too bad.

But he wasn't able to move quite fast enough, as no sooner had his foot hit the hard wood floors than he felt a strong grip on the back of his sleeping shirt. Slowly turning his head, he felt himself begin to laugh nervously, fearing that the young red head would be furious. That would have been the normal reaction, and mentally he was prepared for it, even if he was already wincing at the repercussions.

Yet, as he looked at the girl, she didn't seem angry at all. She simply seemed embarrassed, her deep blue eyes focused on the beige wood below their feet. The young girl looked almost confused and exasperated, as though there were something on her mind that she wanted to get out but couldn't.

Feeling the grip on his shirt loosen, he turned around, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the girl. He had seen her perform unbelievable acts of strength, and she lived with a sort of determination that he admired a great bit. But to see her now, he couldn't help but smirk, as the realization hit him. She was still just a girl. A powerful girl, who could more than take care of herself, he noted, but still just a girl.

The older man felt himself shift his gaze slightly, completely unsure of what he was supposed to do or say in this situation. "I wish Shinpachi's sister was here for this…" he muttered, sighing deeply as he focused on the girl once more.

"Gin-chan?" she asked sheepishly, slowly raising her eyes to gaze at her companion, her cheeks still stained with the blush that had crept on her in the embarrassment. Her hair a frazzled mess, Gintoki couldn't help but snicker, letting his hands fall loosely at his side.

"What is it?" he asked directly, hoping she wasn't going to go into a crying fit or ask something he couldn't answer. If she did, he would have to get Tae's help, as that was what older girls were for. Though he would have to think of a polite way to phrase the question should it come to that. He certainly didn't need the hassle of physical injury on top of this.

"I'm, uh, sorry…" she mumbled, fidgetting in place as she looked at the older man, her eyes washed over with embarrassment. He was dumbfounded again. This was going to be the death of him if she kept surprising him like this.

"For what?" he asked in turn, his brows fixing in a curious gaze as he watched the girl. Gintoki had met many women before, but none of them had ever apologized to him before. Usually it was the other way around, so it was a surprise to hear it, especially from someone he knew to be quite innocent and a bit too naïve.

"Umm, you know, what you saw just now…" Finishing her sentence, Kagura nearly exploded right there, her face and hair a near indistinguishable tone of red. With a sigh, Gintoki ran his hand reassuringly through the smooth, silky locks of hair.

"Idiot. That's nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't have barged in like that." Gin muttered, feeling his own embarrassment return as the scene played in his head. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he felt the girl nuzzle up a bit into his touch. Smling warmly, he spoke once more.

"Come on, breakfast is ready." he stated, tilting his head in the direction of the small dining room. "But afterwards, I think we need to have a talk." he said, a slightly mocking tone to his voice. As the girl smiled, he watched her bound over towards him, jumping onto his back to get a piggyback ride.

"Gin-chan, thanks." she whispered, placing her arms loosely around his neck. Nuzzling her head into his hair, Kagura felt the silver curls mingle with her own red locks, his warmth making her feel much more relaxed. Things would likely be awkward for a little bit, but she didn't mind. Things would always work out as long as she had Gintoki around.

For now, she was just looking forward to a good breakfast. Her stomach growling let the older man know what she was thinking, and she laughed out loud as he sighed. Maybe things wouldn't be too awkward after all… as long as the talk went alright.

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**Wow, that would be a weird situation, but I think that Gintoki could handle it. Given enough time :P Might do a sequel to this one at some point, if it gets good reception. Next will be another GinKagu fic, since I just love this pairing so much. Nice and fun.  
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**Also, one other thing I would like to say. Planning a sort of angsty GinKagu fic, but that will be published separately, as I want this whole grouping of oneshots to be happy and fluffy as possible. So look forward to that one, GinKagu fans. Not enough of those stories here, so we need some more.  
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	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 09: Having more life experience doesn't necessarily make you smarter**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**Rating: K**

**Ok, this here is the sequel to the previous chapter. Gintoki has to give Kagura a talking to, while sorting his own feelings out a bit. What kind of trouble has he gotten himself into? Anyway, this is pure GinKagu fluff, just the way I like it. I would have gotten this out sooner, but I had a sore throat for a while, and that made it hard to focus. Hopefully I get one or two more of these out before the weekend is over. Comments, as always, are welcome. Enjoy.

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Despite his attempts at being non-chalant, at acting the stern adult, Gintoki could not help but smile. He would never admit it, but he always found himself enjoying the rare occasions when he would have to carry Kagura on his back. Her body, despite its small size, was unbelievably warm. When he would feel her lean fully into his back, Gintoki had a sense of relief, of calm, that he only vaguely recalled from his childhood. Despite the situation, when he got that feeling, he couldn't help but smile.

As Gin walked slowly towards the small dining area, he was only vaguely aware that the young girl was talking, his senses filled with the feelings of warmth that emanated from her body. He could feel the heat from her small frame deep inside his own body, bringing that all too familiar smile back to his face. Sometimes, Gin wondered what it was that brought such a smile from him where Kagura was concerned. Was it a sort of fatherly attachment to the young girl, a sense of friendship, or something else entirely? No matter how much he thought about it, no answer seemed to satisfy him, and usually left him more frustrated than usual.

With a heavy sigh, the young samurai approached the small dining area, hoping the food hadn't gotten too cold. But as he watched the table, he noticed that Kagura was still not sitting in her usual seat. Turning his head slightly, he noticed her fire red hair, frayed from a night of undoubtedly fitful sleep, still spilling carelessly over his shoulder. Figuring she had simply fallen back asleep, he gave his body a small shake, hoping to wake her from her slumber.

Even that did nothing, as he could still feel that same intense warmth burning through him. Closing his eyes, Gintoki felt that the young girl had nestled her head snugly against his broad shoulders, seemingly making no effort to extricate herself from her perch on his back. "Neh, Kagura-chan, it's time for breakfast." he mentioned gently, his voice barely above a whisper. Figuring that would do the trick, he was surprised as she simply clasped her arms tighter around his neck. '_What's going on with her today?'_ he wondered to himself, bringing his large hands up to her wrists.

Suddenly Gintoki realized all over again just how strong the girl could be when she put her mind to it. His breath became shorter and shorter, finding it harder to get air to his lungs. Clutching idly at the girl's impossibly strong arms, the samurai tried to pry her arms from around his neck, feeling his breath quicken. "K-Kagu…ra… can…'t bre…athe…" he choked out, feeling the girl immediately scurry from his back.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry, Gin-chan…" the girl briefly stuttered, making her way quickly to the table for the morning meal. With a hand idly stroking his now sore throat, Gintoki sighed to himself. More than ever, he wished he knew what the crazy little girl was thinking. '_Why would she be so hesitant to let go?'_ he wondered to himself. Keeping a good sight on the girl, he slowly made his own way to the table, taking up his seat across from his odd companion. With his crimson eyes trained on her, he slowly filled his small bowl with rice before allowing her to do the same.

Planting his chopsticks into the fluffy white substance, he gathered a few grains before shoveling it into his mouth. As he chomped the diet staple, Gintoki found his gaze shifting from his meal back towards the young girl across from him. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, noticing that she was not attacking the meal as she normally would.

"Neh, Kagura-chan, is something wrong?" he asked, finishing the last of the rice that had remained in his bowl. His body involuntarily tensed up, as the girl flinched in her seat, shifting the table's position slightly in her surprise. Something was really going on here.

"Ah, it's nothing Gin-chan. I guess I'm just tired." she answered, a bit too quickly for his knowledge. Kagura, despite her naivete and innocent demeanor, was almost never flustered or thrown off. She was almost acting like a girl with a crush, as hard as that might have been for him to believe. Despite himself, he found his mind sticking on this point, his thoughts turning around that one snag.

'_Wait, wait, wait, wait. There's no way that's what is going on, right? I mean, I'm the only guy here, so if it was then that would mean…'_ Gintoki felt his whole body lighten, the color draining from his face as the thought occurred to him. Did Kagura have a crush on him? That was a totally silly notion. After a moment, Gin was able to gather his composure, coughing to clear his throat as he set his attention squarely on the young girl.

He felt himself wince in acknowledgement as she shifted awkwardly under his gaze. Her deep blue eyes tilted to stare at the small brown table, red locks falling down around her face at the gesture. Gin's lips pursed in a worried expression, sweat beginning to form on his face. The thoughts kept repeating in his head, telling him that there was no doubt about it. But how was he supposed to handle a kid like Kagura having a crush on him? He had absolutely no ideas about how this situation could be handled.

Racking his brain, he tried to think of a way out of the situation without getting himself thrown in jail. That bastard Hijikata was always looking for any excuse to come after him, a fact that normally would not bother the samurai, but he now found himself excruciatingly worried over. Sucking in a deep, cleansing breath, he tried to reason the situation through his head.

"Ah, how could this happen!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands tightly to his temples, clutching idly at his silver hair in frustration. Letting his crimson gaze fall on the table in front of him, he continued to think through the situation, finding his memory resting on the events of the morning. In his mumbling, near delirious state, he didn't notice that Kagura had brought her own attention to the older man, curiously staring at his sketchy actions.

Everyone knew that Gintoki was prone to bouts of near psychotic episodes, his mind a scattered, impossible to decipher mess of thoughts. But it was strange to see him quite so frazzled as he seemed at that moment, mumbling to himself in something that sounded similar to a Buddhist prayer in its speed and steady rhythm. Carefully standing from her seat, the young Yato girl made her way over to the older samurai, his nonsensical gibberish filling her senses.

If he noticed her presence, he made no sign to indicate it. He seemed lost in his thoughts, and only a few occasional words were understandable from his mess of speech. Among the words that Kagura was able to pull from his endless babbling was her own name, his name, "prison", "criminal", and "death". Her mind began to work its own magic on the words, hoping to at least somewhat figure what he was thinking of.

Crouching down to his right, she leaned slightly against his leg, her arms crossed on his strong thigh. Her own thoughts seemed to slow to a crawl, before stopping completely, feeling the warmth of his body on her arms. Somehow she could never seem to get enough of the feeling of him against her, taking any advantage she could to have him carry her.

A smile warming on her face, the young girl felt her head beginning to lean towards the young man, her cheek resting against the strong muscles of his right leg. Suddenly it didn't seem to matter what he was thinking about that was making him act so strangely. Gintoki was strange no matter what. "That's one of the things I love about you, Gin-chan…" The girl didn't realize that she had spoken aloud, her words putting a grinding halt to the older man's thought processes.

"W-what did you say, Kagura-chan?" he asked, focusing his magenta eyes on her head, the strands of silky smooth hair fanning out across his legs. Despite himself, he found his fingers entwining in the soft locks, smiling to himself at how good her hair felt against his skin. It was strange, as she was the last person he would suspect of such obviously careful attention to beauty.

"Dammit, you just never make it easy, do you?" he asked her somewhat sarcastically, amused grin plastered on his face. With another rather frustrated sigh, he figured he should let her get some sleep. Placing a hand under the girl's sleeping head, he carefully maneuvered until he was able to pull her into his arms, taking care not to wake her. Swinging her light body up into a comfortable hold, Gin found himself staring at her face. As she slept, lithe frame draped across his strong arms, she looked every bit the sweet little girl she was supposed to be. To see her in such a state, one would be hard pressed to peg her as a powerful warrior, capable of incredibly monstrous feats of strength.

Giving himself a good shake, Gintoki tried to get any thoughts from his head. He was Kagura's friend and caretaker. He would have to give her a talking to after she woke up, to set things right. If she ever woke up. She was a rather heavy sleeper, another thing he had learned about the girl in their time living together. Approaching the small sofa, he set her on the left-hand seat, before taking his own seat next to her. Carefully, he set her down, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in sleep.

With his feet planted firmly on the cool hardwood floor, Gintoki reached out for the remote, figuring there might be something on television worth watching now that the morning had passed a bit more. With an audible click, he watched the box flicker to life, its pale light reflecting across the smooth wood of the floor.

Click. Nothing good.

Click. Still nothing. Man, paying for cable was such a waste of money. Gintoki felt the urge to rush out and cancel his subscription, giving the company a piece of his mind at the same time. Frustrated, he tossed the remote to the opposite piece of furniture, letting the television rest on whichever channel it happened to land on.

Throwing his head back against the sofa, he threw his arms to either side, resting aimlessly on the edge of the piece of furniture. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it gave him a chance to sit and think. Eyes trained on the ceiling, Gintoki tried to think of what he would tell Kagura when she woke up. It was obvious that she must be confused about something, but who was he to be giving advice on growing up?

As he was losing himself in thought, the young girl to his side seemed to make an answer of her own. Gintoki felt his weight shifting a bit to the side, an added pressure on his shoulder that hadn't been there before. Rolling his head to the side, he looked towards the source of the pressure, and smiled wide again. "Ah, what am I going to do with you, Kagura?" All his frustration with the situation seemed to nearly vanish, dispelled with one motion.

He watched the content smile that crossed the younger girl's soft features in her sleep, her head leaning innocently against his shoulder, one arm draped across his body. Nuzzling ever closer to him, he let his own arm fall around her shoulder, helping her get comfortable. "Oh well. I give. But that's really not fair, Kagura-chan." he muttered helplessly, letting her soft frame nestle against him. If he didn't know better, he might have thought she was awake, just messing with him.

Sitting back, Gin figured he may as well let her sleep, and think of what to say at the same time. "Hopefully someone doesn't come by, or this would be really hard to explain." he muttered to himself, kicking himself as he did for fear of his bad luck kicking in. Half expecting someone to immediately come up to the small shop, he cast a careful glance to the door, paying attention to any sign that someone was present. Realizing the "coast was clear" so to speak, he sighed breath of relief, before letting his head idly rest against the top edge of the cheap blue sofa.

A short time later, Kagura felt herself rousing from the depths of sleep. But something was different from her usual routine. She felt something more comfortable, more warm than she could remember. As her deep, crystal clear blue eyes fluttered open, she smiled to herself, taking comfort in the slow, steady rise and fall of the body next to her.

"Oh, good morning Sadah-" she stopped mid statement as her vision cleared, blushing intensely at the sight that greeted her. She realized that there was no mass of fur where there should be, but instead the familiar light green sleepwear of her partner in crime. A million different thoughts ran through her head as she tried to sit upright, only to find herself held quite tightly to him.

"Gin-chan, w-what's going o-on?" Thoughts raced. When had she fallen asleep? Why was she sleeping cuddled next to Gintoki? What was his arm doing holding her so closely? And, why did it feel so right? Turning her head a bit, she smiled to herself as she watched his sleeping face. The normal, vacant expression stayed in place, which Kagura often felt must be the only face he was capable of expressing.

As her smile faded slowly, she found herself still gazing at his peaceful expression. It was a strange feeling. Most of the time, Gintoki was a worthless existence, someone who couldn't take care of anything without the grace and charity of others. It was an existence she had come to take part in, along with the other member of their little trio. Yet, while Shinpachi always made his way back home to sleep, it was just her and Gin in the little shop. Almost, she thought occasionally, like a couple.

This thought sent a strong blush through her cheeks, as she buried her face in his strong chest. Quickly, the young girl said a short prayer that Gin was asleep and couldn't see her blush. She couldn't put all the words together, but she knew how she felt. It was something she only felt for the silly, usually idiotic samurai. Hugging him a bit tighter, she sighed contentedly against him, his steady breathing reassuring her, giving her comfort. She was in love, and she knew it.

Even with that, her heart sank a bit in her chest. "There's no way that Gin-chan would feel that way…" she whispered to herself, clutching tighter to the older man. She listened to his sharp intake of breath at her harsh hold, before lightening a bit to allow him to breathe. She wondered just what Gintoki would say when he got around to giving her that "talk" he had promised. Somehow it made her a bit nervous.

The girl snickered a bit to herself, imagining the older man fumbling miserably for words, then having the conversation totally get away from him before turning into an entirely different talk then he intended. With her eyes idly hanging open, she wondered what had gone through his head when he had caught her. She burned a bit brighter at the thought, the embarrassment still fresh in her mind. Yet, it hadn't been as bad as she had imagined.

She thought that if she had ever been discovered, there would have been a bit of awkwardness, then some screaming, then a good bit of violence for someone invading her privacy. But, when Gintoki had slid open that closet door, revealing her at her most exposed, time seemed to stop. Neither could say anything, though she for one had a mind racing full of thoughts. A part of her wanted to explode into action, toss the older man through the nearest window, and not give a second thought about it. But another part of her was almost glad it had happened, almost reveled in seeing his gaze fixed so intently on her.

As she let the scene play in her mind, she felt herself warm up involuntarily. Biting her lower lip, the girl was suddenly more aware of the warm body next to her, feeling as though his heat was going to burn her even through their respective sleepwear. Her red locks contrasting against his green cloth, his breathing causing her head to rise and fall ever so gently.

"Pfft." Kagura was shaken from her ever spiraling daydream to the feeling of a finger poking loosely into he sides. The finger did not move, but was joined by a couple more, each brushing loosely against a different spot on the girl's side. As they began to move more boldly, she began to thrash a bit against him, laughing loudly at the contact to her weak spots.

"Oh, so our little Kagura-chan has a ticklish side, does she?" It drove her crazy. Her thoughts split nearly in two at the sound of his voice. On one level, she was so excited to hear him speak, only to her, to tease her and make her laugh as only he seemed able. It felt like little surges of electricity hitting each ticklish spot on her side where his fingers roamed. But on yet another, it hurt. To hear him call her 'our little Kagura-chan' just reinforced all the doubts she had. Part of her wanted to just lean into him and spill her feelings and let things happen however they may. But the other part won out in the end, and she decided to let him tickle her until he was ready to talk.

"So, did you have a nice nap, Kagura-chan?" His voice was crystal clear, even after being asleep. Twisting a bit, the girl lay there, her chin resting on his chest as she caught sight of his murky crimson orbs. They were so unique, so expressive that she could not help but hold his gaze as long as she could. His tickling had not gone on long enough for her desire, and she still panted a bit from the exertion of laughing so hard.

"Mm." was all she could mutter. Her eyes still fixed on his easy going expression, the girl was overtaken with an urge to run her hands through his hair, to feel the curls run through her fingers. As the signal reached her hand, she slowly worked it up toward his hair, eager to see how he might respond to her touch.

"Kagura, we have to talk." he spoke in a very serious tone, catching her by her wrist. The look on his face turned near instantly from lazy and playful to serious, and she knew that whatever it was that Gintoki had to say, it would be important. With a weak nod, she drew back from the older man, sitting in a formal position, her legs tucked carefully beneath her in front of him. Hands placed on her knees, she waited for him to speak.

"Ah, lighten up. Geez, makes me feel so stodgy when people do that." It was strange. He had a natural talent to instantly switch from light hearted to deathly serious and back. She smiled as she sat more naturally, legs crossed with her hands placed loosely in her lap. Kagura watched as Gintoki rubbed his shoulder in that usual, lazy way of his. With a sigh, he turned so he was facing her directly, his eyes staring right into her sapphire spheres.

He still had no idea what to say, but as he looked at the girl in front of him, Gin allowed his mind to wander, taking in every memory he could grasp of the young alien. In many respects, she was still a child, probably completely foreign to matters of the heart. In the time he had known her, Kagura had never been one to fawn over popular boys or any things to that effect.

Gintoki had to think back, thinking that maybe there had been signs that he just missed, or misunderstood. Nothing came to mind, but he dismissed that as just his own lack of understanding of the female gender. She was impossibly strong, and he recalled their first encounter, where she had survived being hit by his scooter completely unharmed. If a person were to just look at her list of accomplishments, one would be hard pressed to identify the identity of the character in question. So it was easy for him to forget that Kagura was still just a teenage girl.

"Gin-chan?" her voice rang in his ears, bringing his thoughts back to the present. Blinking rapidly, he let his gaze roam from her impossibly blue eyes.

"Ah, what is it Kagura-chan?" he asked, hoping that she didn't realize that he had been letting his mind wander.

"Aren't you going to say something?" she asked innocently, a quizzical look in her eyes.

"Ah, yeah, that." Idly stroking his chin, Gintoki still had no idea what it is he wanted to say to the girl. He was the last person that should be giving any kind of lecture, especially given his tendency to fall into the vices easily.

Continuing to think, he thought as much as he could on what he wanted to say. His eyes staring straight ahead, boring through the young girl as he looked for some sort of answer. She looked at him with expectation, eager to hear what it was he was going to say. To see her simply staring at him, he felt even more pressure. _'Dammit, I never should have brought it up…'_ he began to panic, wondering how he could get out of this.

Things were already awkward, and he didn't want them to get any worse. He knew that his own thoughts were important in this matter, but how did he feel about her exactly? His first reaction to the thought was that he should be ashamed for even having to ask, and that she was like his daughter, nothing more.

But it didn't take him long to realize that she was something else to him entirely. He didn't know exactly what she was to him, but he did know something with clarity. Kagura was a lot of fun to have around, despite her endless appetite. Nobody else was so easily duped into participating in his antics, who seemed to match his wavelength at every step. And with that simple deduction, Gintoki had his answer to what to do.

Realizing that Kagura was still asking him for some response, and looking at him expectantly, he placed the palm of his right hand squarely against her lips. He would have to pinch himself later as he felt just how soft they were against his skin.

"Ok, Kagura-chan, I suppose we should set some ground rules." he began simply, hoping he didn't end up droning on and on about random things. "First, if you get those kinds of urges, make sure to lock the door, or leave some kind of warning first." At this, Kagura could feel herself redden, realizing that what he had said was the basics, and she should have realized it. After all, it was still technically Gintoki's place, even if he was always behind on the rent. With a weak nod of the head, she waited for Gintoki to continue.

"Second, I think we need to get your feelings in the open." If she was red at the thought of being "interrupted" by her friend, then Kagura must have burned to just the right side of white at the thought of telling him how he felt. As she tilted her head downward more, Gintoki kept a careful eye on the young teenager. _'Heh. Still just a kid, after all.'_ he thought to himself, a smile tugging at his lips. Reaching out, he let his hand rustle aimlessly in her silky smooth hair, almost able to feel the smile on her own face at the small action.

"Gin-chan?" she answered almost dreamily, tilting her head back so that her eyes were trained on the older samurai, her cheeks a lighter shade of red. As he saw her contented expression, Gin felt himself chuckle a bit. Kagura, for all her ferocity, looked more like a happy little kitten under his touch, rubbing back against his strong hand.

"What is it, Kagura-chan?" he asked, hoping she couldn't notice the light pink shade that colored his own cheeks. He had to admit it to himself. She was pretty cute. With their eyes locked again, he noticed her squirming under his gaze, giving her an even cuter feel. Feeling a bit curious, Gintoki felt his hands slowly reaching out towards the girl in front of him, gradually making their way to her soft cheeks.

As his palms brushed the warm skin, Gin felt her shiver slightly under his touch, her eyes fluttering open and shut as his hands ran over the soft flesh. _'I guess she does take care of herself after all._' he thought to himself, surprised by the wonderful feeling of her hair and skin. With a shake of his head, he pulled his hands away, scratching the back of his head nervously as he mumbled an apology.

Feeling that he had made a mistake, the silver haired samurai made a move to head back towards his small room, hoping that the damage had not been irreparable. But as he set his feet on the cold wooden floors, he felt a strong pressure crash into his torso, pinning him firmly against the soft blue sofa. Blinking a few times in surprise, he looked down his body, noticing the ball of red hair in her lavender sleep wear sprawled loosely across his body.

"Kagura-chan?" he asked simply, running a hand idly through her silky hair, letting the strands fall through his fingers.

"I love you, Gin-chan." she blurted out, her head resting tightly against his chest. He could feel her warm breath through his clothing, gazing at her seriously as she spoke. "You never ask anything from me, and you gave me a place to live. Sure, things are hard sometimes because you're an idiot and useless…" At this, Gintoki felt a familiar stitch on his forehead, not enjoying the insults being hurled at him by the girl. But he held his tongue, letting her continue.

"But even though you're a terrible role model almost all the time, and you always spend your money on sweet treats and pachinko and manga, you're still my favorite Gin-chan." As she finished, Gin placed a palm on her head, attempting to soothe the young girl whose small frame managed to pin him in place quite firmly.

"Ah. My little Kagura-chan really is growing up." The near melancholy tone of his voice sent a pang through the young alien, turning her gaze towards his crimson eyes. "Kids grow up so fast these days." he muttered, carefully stroking the long red hair on her head. He felt her arms begin to squeeze him tightly, as though not wanting to let him go. With an amused grin, he looked intently at the young girl.

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens." As he spoke, he watched her face nearly explode, her lips curling into a bright smile as she turned her body to be parallel with his own. Still keeping him pinned down, Kagura looked into his oddly clear eyes, looking for some hint that he was being serious for once. But all she got in reply was a gentle lean upwards from the young man, his lips lightly clasping over her own in a gentle kiss.

The young girl could not move, her body frozen in place by the suddenness and the pleasure from the kiss that he had given her. The heat of his lips felt as though it would burn through her entire body, stoking a fire that had existed as long as she could remember. She tasted his lips, the soft taste of the many years of eating as much sugar as he could get his hands on mixing with his own unique taste. As he pulled back, laying his head back down on the soft blue sofa, he snickered a bit as Kagura stayed locked in place, only her head trying to move down to close the gap.

"Aww, Gin-chan, no fair." she whimpered, her face flushed from the feeling, but clearly showing the enjoyment she had felt from the contact. He could tell that she was looking for more than that, but as the older partner, he would have to show some self control.

"Now, Kagura-chan, don't be upset." he said, an attempt to calm the girl. Gathering his attention, he brushed a few loose strands behind her ears, giving him a good view of her soft features. "Besides, you still need to grow up a bit before you're ready for those kinds of things." he teased, watching her grudgingly extricate herself from atop his strong frame. He had a feeling that she could easily force the matter, and he would have little to say about it. But he figured she was just innocent enough not to try it.

Sitting up straight, Kagura crossed her arms on her chest, puffing her cheeks out in a pout. She watched as her partner also sat up straight, mockingly rubbing his lower back in an attempt to tease her. She smirked a bit to herself, playing the memory of his soft kiss in her mind. He cared about her, in a way she hadn't thought was possible before that day, and that made her happy. He cared enough to figure out a solution that would not cause either of them discomfort or any regret. On some level, she thought that Gintoki would always see her as "his little Kagura-chan".

All kinds of thoughts racing through her mind, the girl watched the older man make his way to the bathroom to clean up after breakfast. Seeing as they still lived together, there would be plenty of time for her to show him just how grown up she was.

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**That Kagura might be too much for our favorite samurai. So devious :P I am not totally satisfied with this one. Let me know if it ran on a bit. I couldn't think of a suitable ending, so I get a feeling I sort of rambled on a bit. Gintoki and Kagura make a great pair, with their almost perfectly matched personalities I think. Anyway, more fluff to come, so look forward to that fellow GinKagu fans.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Careful when you've been drinking, or you might make a mistake you can't take back**

**Rating: T**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**Here is some more fluff featuring one of my favorite pairings in anime, Gintoki x Kagura. They are just so good together. Anyway, in this chapter, Gintoki stumbles home after some heavy drinking. Kagura keeps him company. Will they cross a line that they shouldn't? Read to find out. A little bit racier than I have gone with this pairing, so let me know if it's too much. Comments always appreciated. Enjoy.

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With a stuttering step, Gintoki found himself face first on the stretch of wood just outside his front door. The loud crashing sound rang wildly in his ears, creating a strong pulsing sensation throughout his head. His whole face felt pressure, as he lay there motionless on the rough, hard wood.

Slowly, he pushed himself up, first onto his elbows, then finally into a semi-sitting position. Hunching over, he clapped his hands tightly to his temples, rubbing them in a vain attempt to quell the aching, pounding sensation in his brain. It felt like a thousand huge drums were being bashed at once, his stomach threatening to spill its contents at the intense pain.

"Ah, I think I'm going to quit drinking." he muttered weakly, his words slurred from the huge intake of alcohol. The self promise was followed by a loud wincing of pain, all the minor sounds of the night adding to the feeling in his head. Gathering all his effort, he tried to stand, only to come tumbling down once again, his back crashing with a thud against the wall.

"Looks like I'll be sleeping outside tonight." he answered to himself, comforted by the fact that the night was rather pleasant. Tilting his head back, he drank in the scenery of the night, watching as the neon signs flickered against the darkness. All tones of blue, yellow, green, pink, all shades of the rainbow played against his eyes. Pulling a knee up towards his chest, he rested his elbow upon it, the forearm hanging loosely over the appendage.

Sucking in a deep breath, he felt a warm breeze blow by, setting some strands of his silver hair in his eyes, casting small lines across the neon landscape. Letting the air escape his lungs, Gintoki let his alcohol addled mind wander, drifting to different places and people he had experienced, both good and bad. Pleasant memories fought with ones of bitter agony, the results of a varied life.

As he sat there, back against the reddish colored wall adorning his little office/home, Gintoki felt himself losing any sense of time, people coming and going all the while. With each intake of breath, the pain in his head subsided a bit more, but he knew it would not leave fully for a while yet. Sighing in defeat, he figured he should make one last attempt to make his way into the small home, hoping for at least the comfort of his cheap sofa.

Planting his palms squarely on the ground, he attempted to lean forward, gathering his bearings as best he could. But just as he rocked forward on his haunches, the young man heard the familiar sliding of the front door opening. Turning his head slightly, his eyes narrowed in the dim light to see who it was.

"Gin-chan? What are you still doing out here at this time of night?" Setting himself back against the cool wall, he felt an odd sense of guilt in him.

"Ah, what are you still doing up Kagura-chan?" he asked seriously, wondering what had kept her up so late. As he had left the bar, it had already been past one in the morning, an hour anyone with common sense would have been asleep at. But here, some unknown amount of time later, stood his friend and associate, her slender body covered by a loose fitting pink pajama set.

As he sat there, he heard the soft padding footsteps as they approached him. Keeping his eyes trained on the young red haired alien, he watched as she gingerly took a seat next to him, pulling her own knees carefully toward her chest. Quirking a curious brow to the young girl, he wondered if she truly intended to sit there with him the night, leaving behind the comfort of her makeshift bed. As if in answer to his unasked question, the girl cocked her head slightly, resting her cheeks on her raised knees as she smiled at her friend.

"You could use some company, right Gin-chan?" The sincerity and innocence in her words drew a smile from the young samurai, his kimono's sleeves fluttering playfully with the warm breeze. Stretching a leg out in front of him, Gintoki let the feelings of the night wash over him, pairing nicely with the warmth after so much sake.

A sole long, black cloud hung in front of the full moon, casting a shadow over the street below, before moving on. Sitting in the soft moonlight, Gin felt his companion draw closer to her older friend, turning his head to gaze at her fully. In the eerie glow, her skin looked even smoother, acting nearly like a mirror for the soft light with its light tone. She looked most unearthly, like a spirit acting as his companion. With a start, Gintoki found his thoughts turning unwholesome, her warm body pressing still closer into his own.

'_Hmm, if she were only a little older…'_ Catching himself from thinking anything more than that, Gin mentally slapped himself for thinking of her in that way. Casting his gaze wearily back onto the night scene of the town, he tried to shake thoughts of his young friend in more "mature" circumstances from his mind, knowing that if anything ever did happen, the consequences would be most dire.

For one, he had a distinct feeling that the violence he had experienced at the hands of Shimura Tae would be nothing to what he would experience. Similarly, he did not particularly want to make enemies of the galactic ally known bounty hunter Umibozu, Kagura's father. The thought of having to deal with two of them at once was more than he felt comfortable with.

"Gin-chan, are you cold?" her concerned and curious voice pierced his thoughts, and he realized that he had been shivering. _'No, but I did get a frightened chill._ he thought to himself, feeling the color drain from his features at the thought.

"No, no, no, I'm not cold." he hurriedly excused, hoping she wouldn't press the matter. No such luck for him, it would seem. To his chagrin, he watched as the girl positioned herself directly in front of the young man, pressing her forehead against his to stare directly into his crimson eyes.

'_God, why does she have to be so sickeningly sweet sometimes?'_ he cursed to himself, hoping that his face did not heat at the touch. Her skin was just as soft and smooth as it looked, contrasting with his undoubtedly clammy skin, a result of being out in the elements so often. It pained him when someone was concerned for him, as with his current group of friends, it would usually end badly for him.

With a wince and another shiver, he recalled the time he had been injured fighting Nizou, and the… "care"… that he had gotten from Tae and the others. The injuries had only gotten worse, and it was a miracle that he had survived at all. _'Why are my friends all so crazy?' _he lamented to himself, watching with fogged vision as the girl leaned back a bit. Her eyes, despite the late hour, were impossibly clear, a depth that he had not seen before. At least, not that he could remember.

"We better get you inside, Gin-chan." She said at last, standing abruptly in front of him. Gintoki felt his heart beat just a bit faster, watching the soft flutter of her sleep garments with the movement of her body. He was just glad that the clothing was quite solid, no sheerness to be seen through.

"No, I'm fine Kagura-chan." he tried to explain, waving a hand plaintively in front of him. But Kagura was not hearing any of it. Roughly grabbing the man by his black shirt, she quickly hauled his body through the still open door, his feet dragging loosely against the hard floor. With a quick curse to himself, he figured that it was impossible to go against Kagura when she had her mind set on something.

All the pain in his head came back in one sudden burst, the young girl roughly tossing him up onto the sofa. Eyes shut tightly in pain, he tried to get past it, but he felt an odd sensation on his legs. Kagura had set herself squarely on his knees, back facing him as she tried to remove his black boots. He tried to reach out, stop her, explain that he could take care of it himself, but no words came out. Only an unintelligible mumble, which left him quite befuddled. _'I must be worse than I thought.'_ he considered vacantly, letting his head rest against the blue material.

Looking up at the ceiling, things began to swim in taunting circles around him. Briefly he wondered if it was the result of the alcohol, or maybe a concussion from being pressed so harshly against the blue bench. He would have to invest in a good couch one of these days, he thought idly to himself. Narrowing his eyes tightly, Gintoki tried to get a bearing on his surroundings, to very little avail. As the world seemed to disappear around him, only one thing still stood in his senses, the warm sensation on his legs.

With no real sense of what was happening, he reached towards the feeling, taking the warmth in his hands. Through his increasing haze, he felt a soft sensation against his palms, the warmth increasing slightly with that. He was only vaguely aware that there was a body on his legs, feeling it shift slightly in a circular motion, as though turning to face him.

"Gin-chan?" the voice echoed only lightly in his mind, as though he were hearing it from a hundred miles away. White stars seemed to shine in his vision, illuminating the deep darkness to some weak degree. Squinting, he tried to get a better look at the shape near his mid section, knowing it was someone close to him, but he just couldn't quite make them out.

"Ah, you must be Kagura-chan, right?" he mumbled, a sort of relief rolling through him. The words simply fell out of his mouth, his mind having a hard time focusing on anything just then. He really must have been more drunk than he thought.

"Yeah, it's me, Gin-chan." the girl answered, worried over the sudden slur to the older man's words. She wondered whether maybe she was too rough in getting him onto the couch, wincing at the thought.

"That's great." he slurred, his face etched in a near drunk grin as he reached towards the blurry figure, grasping her tightly by the shoulders. "Just the person I wanted to see." Even knowing that something was definitely wrong with Gintoki, Kagura felt her heart jump at his words, a sort of hopeful fear coursing through her. Was he being serious? Was it all the head trauma? What was he getting at?

Her thoughts were interrupted as his strong arms pulled her body down toward him, her hands landing squarely on his chest. The girl felt her face heat considerably, nervous at the close contact that the samurai had invited. Her heart thumped madly in her chest, threatening to leap through her ribcage. She wondered briefly if Gin could feel the intense beating of her heart.

Gintoki, in his concussion induced stupor, could feel her heart beating against his chest. His arms closed squarely around the girl, he sighed at the feeling of the warm body near his own. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted as much of that warmth as he could get, to never let it go. A small voice rang in his head, telling him that it was not right, that he should let go right away. '_But it feels so right.'_ he tried to tell the voice, hid mind an unorganized mess.

Kagura lay there, hands pressed firmly against his chest, tensing in surprise as his big, strong hands found their way underneath the edge of her shirt. Running roughly along the sensitive skin, the girl found her heart beating even faster. The callouses on his palms created a unique sensation on her smooth skin. Never had she had a feeling like that before, and the girl had to bite her lip to suppress a soft moan.

She would never admit it to anyone, but for as long as she could recall, she had had a crush on the idiotic samurai. His carefree, 'live as I please' attitude had drawn her to him at first, as he was an amusing person to be around. After all, who else would ignore the plight of two young teens in an attempt to locate a copy of Weekly Shonen JUMP?

But being around him more often, she noticed the strong sense of justice, the willingness to go to any lengths to protect what was important to him. His friends always came first, many times at great peril to his own safety. Kagura remembered the appearance of her father, and the seemingly cold attitude Gintoki had displayed to her when he told her to leave. It had hurt more than any physical injury she had experienced. How could someone she cared about just abandon her?

Then when he had come to rescue her from danger, the happiness had drowned out the sadness. She had managed to find out that he really did care, even if he was probably too clumsy to show it accurately. Over time, she had witnessed him give his help to nearly any who asked, sometimes with ease, sometimes with intense injuries.

Being a growing teenager, Kagura knew that she was a bundle of hormones, and anyone would say that she was just having a crush on Gintoki. Maybe they were right. But something kept her close to him, wanting to be near him at all times. When he got himself hurt, she could almost feel the wounds herself. Any time he went on one of his crazy missions, she would worry about him endlessly. Even if everyone around her told her that it was just a childhood crush, something in her told differently. She was in love with him.

Many a night she had laid in her makeshift bed, simply imagining all sorts of things. She found her body occasionally with an ache, a need to be close to him. Common sense told her that it could never work out, with so many factors against it. But her heart refused to listen to her head, and she pined so strongly for his strong touch.

Yet now that she had it, her deepest fantasies coming true, it seemed wrong. Not because it was with him, but because it just felt strange. Like it wasn't really Gintoki below her, not his hands caressing her soft skin. As pleasant as it felt, she knew deep down that his heart wasn't leading him.

"Gin-chan, stop." she whispered, her voice a lusty whisper. Clearing her throat, she attempted to speak more clearly. "Gin-chan, something's wrong with you. This isn't right." Looking into his magenta eyes, she could see the usual Gintoki deep inside, a waver to his actions through the fog. With a smile, the girl felt his hands slowly slip from underneath her shirt, shivering at the light touches of his fingers as they scraped down the soft skin. A memory she would hold for a long while.

As she sat up straight, her chest heaving lightly from the exertion, Kagura watched his eyes flutter open and closed, sleep winning over his delirious state. For a moment, his chest stopped moving, and she felt her own breath catch in her throat. The moment seemed to go on endlessly, her world stopped along with his chest. Then, with a heavy sigh, his breathing set again, a loud snore piercing the silence of the humble home.

"That's my Gin-chan." the girl whispered, carefully brushing a stray lock of silver hair from his peaceful face. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he got more peaceful in sleep, as he always looked so relaxed. With a bright smile, Kagura stood to his side for a minute longer, simply taking in all that had happened. It was a night she was certain to remember for a long time. '_Good thing that Gintoki is so strong willed'_, she thought to herself. If it had been any other man she had met, she wondered, would the results have been the same.

"Ah, Kagura-chan…" that familiar voice rang out to her, sending a tension into her chest. Looking down, she realized he was simply talking in his sleep, maybe now the results of his heavy drinking.

"I'm here Gin-chan." the girl spoke sweetly, kneeling beside the older man as he slept, feeling his palm involuntarily run its way up to her soft cheek. The young alien shivered a bit at the touch, wishing she could simply lean into his embrace, and sleep beside him this night.

"Kagura, you're my favorite…" he muttered in his sleep, his words threatening to stop her heart once and for all. Luckily, she managed to simply lean backwards a bit, resting idly on her legs. Shaking the surprise from her mind, the girl slowly made her way to her feet, placing his arms loosely on his chest.

"You're my favorite too, Gin-chan" she whispered, giving him a soft, innocent kiss on his lips in reward. At the touch, his sleeping face brightened, eliciting a small giggle from the girl. Even in his sleep, he was an interesting guy.

Slowly tearing herself away from his sleeping form, Kagura made her way back to her impromptu sleeping quarters. Her body tingled where Gin had touched her, warmth spreading through her small frame. A part of her was truly sorry to have ended it, had wanted to keep going. That part had wanted to be his entirely, society be damned. But the stronger part of her, the part that admired him for his strength and principle had told her no, that it wasn't right. Just then, as she crawled under her thick comforter, Kagura wished she could tell that voice to shut up and just enjoy the sensations.

But as she lay wide awake in her small quarters, the girl made a compromise with the two voices in her head. It hadn't worked out tonight, but she would gamble that he had revealed his true feelings in sleep. Someday, she would truly be his. And something told her it would be an unforgettable experience.

With that, she felt a familiar warmth in the pit of her stomach, a smile crossing her soft lips. A familiar fantasy played in her mind as she tried to sleep. "Someday…" she whispered to herself, allowing her mind to focus on her truly favorite person.

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**Wow, good thing indeed that Gintoki is usually so strong willed. And, for those of you who might be doubtful, some parts of this are indeed based on symptoms of a concussion. Kagura is really strong after all. Check the Wikipedia article on it if you doubt it. Might do a sequel to this one, with Kagura trying to get through his thick head, but not sure. Let me know how this one turned out. Until next time, loyal readers.  
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	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Teenagers get into lots of trouble if you don't watch them carefully**

**Rating: T**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**This is a sequel to the previous chapter, wherein Kagura enacts her plan to... entice our favorite silver haired samurai. What will happen? Read to find out. This one is pretty close to my line of comfort, so chances are it will never get more graphic than this, at least not on this subject matter. Feels a bit messy to me the way I wrote it, so let me know if there is any way I can fix it. That said, enjoy the GinKagu-ness. Reviews always welcome.

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Resting his palms on the cool porcelain of the sink, Gintoki stared at his reflection in the small, square mirror. Narrowing his eyes, he sighed inwardly at the redness that seemed to encompass both his eyes. Bringing one hand to his face, he gently tugged on the bottom skin surrounding the eye, groaning at just how red they were. Letting the sensitive skin fit back into place, he pulled the mirror out, pulling his oral hygiene products from the small cabinet.

"This can't go on much longer…" he muttered, watching the light blue paste coat the firm bristles of his toothbrush. Shoving the small item into his mouth, he sighed a bit more comfortably, feeling the minty substance begin to do its job. Feeling the night's build up of junk begin to disappear from his mouth, the young samurai let his mind drift back, covering the time since he had last gotten a good night's sleep.

For a little over two weeks, Gintoki's normal sleep patterns had been interrupted by his roommate and accomplice in idiocy, Kagura. He knew that something must have happened at some point, but any time he tried to recall what it might have been, his mind simply got fuzzy and he couldn't focus. But he did remember what he had assumed a dream, and over time, the lazy samurai had gotten the feeling it might have been something more than that.

Blurry visions of a late night drinking, and stumbling home. Sitting on a warm evening, unable to make his way inside. A cute young red head sitting with him before dragging him roughly inside. At that part of the dream, his heart begins to beat a bit faster, the young girl's small frame sitting on his legs, her warmth pouring into him. She reminded him of the young girl that had taken up residence with him, but his conscious mind dismissed that as impossible. No way he thought of Kagura like that… did he?

The seed of doubt that was planted after having the dream only grew, little by little as the days passed. Whenever he thought of the "dream" he could feel a warmth on his hands, a smooth softness that could not be explained. Yet it felt so right, so natural to his senses. But as jarring as the dream was, that was not the cause of his recent lack of sleep.

Since moving into his home rather forcefully, Kagura had carved out a little place for herself, sleeping in an odd closet that he had not been using. But, ever since the day he experienced the oddly pleasant dream, something had changed. Whenever he would wake up in the morning, her small frame was asleep next to him, cuddled up closer than he would have thought for two people who were not lovers. Her innocent sleeping face gave him pause, wondering what this girl dreamed about.

But more than that, he wondered why she had begun to climb into his futon at night, often times waking him in the middle of the night with a fit of rather rough hugs. It was easy to forget that she was one of the most powerful figures he had encountered, a fact that was drilled into his mind nightly. At first he figured it was just nightmares, and that it would pass eventually. Yet, eventually was not fast enough for him.

He had thought of asking her about it directly, but whenever he saw her during the day, her gaze would shift oddly downward, seldom meeting his gaze. Somehow it always made him a little mad, wondering what she was so embarrassed about. But he figured that it was better not to pry into the mind of such a confusing creature as this girl. He did miss his comfortable sleep, however, and wanted it back desperately.

Feeling his eyes begin to lid shut from exhaustion, he heard a curious rustling from the small room that served as impromptu meeting place and living space. Feeling a twitch begin to develop on his temple, Gintoki made his way to the living room, hoping that the situation would not require any sort of effort on his part. Brushing his teeth as he walked, he felt a familiar sense of dread, a nervous chill on his spine as he approached the opening to the living room.

Figuring he had to deal with it eventually, he braced himself for the worst, slowly stepping into the small living room. But as he caught a glimpse of the sight on the small bench with blue cushions added to it, he stopped dead in his tracks, no motion emanating from him at all.

"Ah, good morning, Gin-chan. Would you like some dessert this morning?" the voice asked in a quite unusual tone. Feeling his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight, Gin tried to push the thoughts through his head, figuring it was just some kind of hallucination. Blinking a few times, he noticed small movements from the small figure in front of him, his own head beginning to spin rapidly as he attempted to process the information.

There, on the sofa, lay his young partner, on her stomach. Her body covered only in a set of unfittingly sexy black undergarments, garters spanning the short distance from her hips to a pair of sheer black stockings. The girl's face resting on her joined palms, slender legs kicking idly in the air behind her. Her red hair was combed and she had let it down fully, the shoulder length locks falling elegantly around her face. A pair of deep blue eyes seemed to almost smoulder as they gazed at the older man with something he recognized from living in the Kabuki-cho for so long. Lust.

Feeling his cheeks puff outward, the minty substance in his mouth was expelled quickly, spraying sloppily on the hard wood floor. He was only vaguely aware as the small plastic toothbrush clicked against the wood, each clink echoing menacingly in his ears. A thousand thoughts surged through his mind at once, unable to pin a single one down long enough to articulate it in words. Instead it all came out in one loud utterance.

"What the hell!?" he yelled, running over to the young girl. Grabbing her in his strong arms, he made his way quickly back to his own room, setting the girl down on his futon, checking the hallway for any signs that anyone else was there. Checking left then right, then both 3 times more, he finally shut the door behind him, looking incredulously at the young girl.

Rubbing his temples, he began to pace quickly from side to side, wondering what he was supposed to say to her. He wanted to know what was going on in her head, what had made her do this, but no words came to mind. His brain was a mess of thoughts, his good judgement arguing with his base instincts, resulting in a chorus of voices in his head. He became only slightly aware that the girl still sat on his futon, her legs tucked under her lithe frame as she watched him pace.

Though she might not have been showing it, Kagura was quite nervous. She could feel the heart beating in her chest, pounding like a jackhammer harder with each second. Being so exposed and open to the man she cared for so much was nerve wracking for her, an experience so unlike anything she had yet felt. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, her mind a cloud of emotions.

After that night when they had almost crossed that line of no return, Kagura found her thoughts more consumed by the older man than ever before, the feeling of his hands running gently on her back burned into her memory. It had found its way into her dreams, each one going a step further than the last. Each night she would wake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep.

It had been only the next day after the experience that she had slipped carefully into Gin's futon, smiling to herself at the comfort that she felt at being so close to him. She knew it was not right to take advantage of the situation in that way, but his warmth was so comforting, so inviting each night that she could not help herself. The girl also knew that Gintoki was, at heart, a gentleman, and would not do anything to upset her. One of the many things she found she liked about him.

But even the closeness during sleep soon was not enough, and her body ached for the next form of contact. Luckily unnoticed by the older samurai, the girl would wake each morning, significantly later than him, with a need to change her undergarments. Each morning when she awoke to this revelation, Kagura would blush a tone of red to match her hair, before hurriedly making her way to the bathroom to freshen up. She was always thankful for waking up so long after Gintoki, as the bathroom was always free.

Any time she was alone with him, her mind wandered into "forbidden" territory, and it was impossible to meet his gaze. The Yato girl could tell that something was bothering him, and she felt a pang of sadness at the redness in his eyes. Clearly he was not sleeping well, and she felt a bit guilty for that. She tried to ignore her growing lust, chalking it up to her hormones. It was rather expected for teenagers to have overactive sex drives after all.

Yet, as the days passed, she found it harder and harder to ignore her feelings, occasionally excusing herself in the middle of the day to relieve the pressures she felt. Gintoki, for his part, seemed entirely unaffected by their encounter, a fact that irritated the girl slightly. She knew that he was not of completely right mind at the time, yet she still felt rejected by his nonchalant attitude.

After about a week of no response, Kagura decided she needed to take the offensive. She had to get Gintoki to notice her, to realize that she was a girl with feelings of her own. But it was a rare thing to see Gintoki lust after a woman, and it had been difficult thinking of a way to entice the empty headed young man. She knew that he had a thing for the local weather girl, Kestuno Ana. Any time she saw the way Gin fawned over her made her inwardly jealous, wondering what was so great about her?

After a couple of days with no luck, Kagura had decided to raid Gintoki's secret stash for inspiration, determined to figure out a way to get through his thick skull. Looking through several "well hidden" magazines, she was surprised to see his varied tastes, blushing at some of the material she came across. But after a good amount of time, the right inspiration came to her, and she smiled satisfactorily. Grabbing the book in question, she quickly made her plans, wondering how she could go about it.

Without even considering the consequences, she decided to go to her "big sis" for advice, figuring she would understand. She still remembered the look on Tae's face when she told the older brunette, a look that seemed to radiate both genuine caring and intense anger, neither of which seemed to fit the older girl. With a little (okay a lot) bit of convincing, Kagura had gotten the help of Tae, her time in the club coming in great use. She had been a bit confused at the warnings Tae had given her, something about crushing his "kin tama" if things got out of control, but had shrugged it off. She was nervous and yet excited at the same time about putting her plan into action.

So, this morning, she had gathered her courage up. Watching as Gintoki made his way lazily into the bathroom, she smirked mischievously to herself as she made her own way into the living room. The garments that she had gathered had been harder to get on than she anticipated, an uncomfortable noise echoing in the small home as she fumbled around a bit_. __'Luckily Gintoki is a really thorough brusher.'_ she had thought to herself, straightening the lacey fabric on her lithe frame.

Looking herself over quickly in the nearest reflective surface, Kagura felt rather content. She looked a good bit more mature than her 15 years, her figure beginning to fill out rather nicely. The girl chuckled to a bit, figuring that she would end up with a better figure than the other girls around her beloved Gin-chan, taking pleasure in their defeated expressions as they played in her mind.

Finally, she had taken her position on the blue sofa, shifting her body into what she figured would be the best position to show off her "assets" to Gintoki. She listened to the light sounds of scrubbing from the bathroom, wondering how anyone brushed so thoroughly. The door to the bathroom had slid open, his senses taking in the light rustling of fabric as he came to investigate.

Listening to the gentle padding of footsteps on the floorboards, Kagura felt her breath catch in her chest, her heart nearly exploding at the thought of Gintoki seeing her in such a state of undress. She wondered if maybe she hadn't made a mistake, and wondered how he would respond. But as she saw him turn the corner into the living room, Kagura had decided to go for it.

Now, as she sat there on his futon, she pondered just what he was thinking. Pacing back and forth, the girl felt herself become irritated, his restlessness affecting her own mood. Narrowing her eyes, she felt the agitation grow, his muttering ringing in her ears, mixing uncomfortably with her own heavy breathing. Finally, she could not take it any longer, leaping to her feet in a huff.

"Oi, Gin-chan, what is wrong?" she asked suddenly, an explosion of emotions on her voice. Grabbing the front of his sleeping shirt, she looked squarely into his deep crimson orbs, trying to keep her own emotions in check. She wanted to just throw herself into his arms, and let him hold her tightly. But the cravings were too much to take, and she wanted desperately to be his.

The girl stiffened as she felt his arms encircle her, wrapping her in a warm, inviting hug. His cheek nestled carefully against her head, he breathed in her oddly sweet scent, and she shivered at the touch. His hands were warm as they sat against her mostly exposed back, her skin feeling as though it were on fire. She knew that this was Gintoki in his right consciousness, and for an instant, everything was right in the world.

But as he pulled away from the small girl in front of him, gathering her eyes with his own, she felt an audible gasp escape her lips. His face was a contorted mix of emotions, his protective instincts battling with his undeniable male instincts. Part of him clearly wanted to push her away, give her a comforting speech and let them remain friends. But another part of him clearly wanted to simply follow his instincts, respond to the girl's feelings and actions, take them past that line that separated friends from lovers.

His reason tried to collect his thoughts, his emotions tearing through him. It hurt her to see him so conflicted, and yet it hurt her more to think that eventually the side of reason would win out, and reject the gamble she had taken. Wrapping her arms tightly around his stomach, she buried her face in his strong chest, taking in his deep warmth as much as she could. She just knew that he would reject her. She simply knew deep down that he would "not risk their friendship" and that the nights of sneaking into his futon for that comfortable warmth would be over.

"Kagura-chan…" he began simply, tilting her chin so that her face was facing his once again, tears streaming down her near porcelain looking skin. IT nearly choked him at the sight of it, his hands almost willing themselves to her cheeks, stroking the soft warmth as he looked into her eyes. She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she savored the feeling. He knew in that instant that his dream had not been a dream at all. A foggy memory after a concussion instead, and his heart ached at the thought.

"Gin-chan, I don't care." she blurted out, the tears springing out suddenly as she gazed at him.

"Don't care about what?" he asked, wondering what she was getting at. Stroking his thumbs idly on her skin, he waited for her to continue, figuring there was something more to the words than the surface.

"I know. I know you just don't see me as a girl." she spoke, a cracked whisper where usually there was a fiery frivolity. Gintoki felt his brows quirk in surprise, wondering where she was going with this. He watched as she backed away a bit, the full impact of her garb hitting him finally.

The thin, lacey black fabric covered her most sensual spots, contrasting devastatingly with the pale skin of her slender body. Her chest showed breasts that, he surmised, must already be larger than Tae's, a thought he knew would agitate the brunette to no end. He was barely able to contain a snicker as his eyes roamed over the young girl before him. Somehow she had managed to grow up quite a bit right under his nose, and he kicked himself for not noticing.

The normally over confident partner in crime was replaced with a soft, fragile young girl. Turning away from him slowly, he felt his breath catch once again, his heart beating so quickly that he thought she could hear it. The childlike form of the girl that had barged into his life was replaced with what would eventually be a stunning young woman. Feeling his thoughts taking the journey with his eyes, Gintoki found himself closing the distance between the two, feeling her soft body tense up as he wrapped her in a hug, his arms encircling her just above and below her bust.

"Gin-chan?" she asked, quickly turning in his grasp, coming face to face with her samurai friend. His eyes, usually shining with a sort of lazy mischief, was now shining with something new. Her face brightened up as she realized that he now saw what she had wanted from the start. Gintoki saw her as a girl. Her stomach fluttered down to its core, her whole body feeling light under his gaze. The hands that slowly made their way to her cheeks once more seemed to burn her skin, small shivers coursing through her body.

"I'm sorry, Kagura-chan." he whispered, his eyes closing as his hands rubbed the soft skin of her body, drinking in the warmth.

"W-what are you sorry for, Gin-chan?" she asked, wondering just what he was thinking. The nervousness threatened to consume her, wishing that his body would stay like this, pressed to her own so closely that his heat was nearly hers.

"Not noticing sooner." he answered simply, once more catching her sharp blue eyes with his own. But the crimson that showed was not the usual tone, but the one he displayed in a crucial moment. Before she could answer back, his lips had found their way to her own, sealing her mouth with his own.

The shock that went through her body was unlike anything she had felt, and it dwarfed the warmth she felt simply being next to him. Feeling her strength miraculously dissipate, Kagura let her hands roam across his wide back, grasping the green fabric anywhere she could. All her usual energy was replaced with a pure bliss, his lips heightening the small flame inside of her into a raging inferno. Reaching towards his neck, she wrapped her slender arms around him, an attempt to get him closer to her.

Finally the pair separated, both sets of lungs expanding and retracting as their bodies searched for precious oxygen. A devilish grin from the silver haired young man contrasted the contented expression of the young girl, her eyes half closed in near delirious pleasure.

"Ah, that was great, Gin-chan." she muttered dreamily, unable to prevent herself from falling to her knees, grateful for the softness of his futon to land on. The girl tried to collect her thoughts, think of something to say, but found nothing would come. She was lost in the pleasures she had just experienced.

Kagura was only vaguely aware of the presence in the room, gradually feeling it come closer to her. With a shake of her head, she watched Gin crouch down in front of her, waving his hands in front of her eyes in an attempt to get her attention. With a snap, she was brought back to life, her cheeks a fiery color to match her hair.

"Oh, no fair Gin-chan!" she yelled in a teasing tone of voice, throwing herself towards the young man, catching him off guard. Now they were in a similar position to that one night that seemed so long ago. Her body pressing him hard downward, legs spread on either side of his strong torso.

"Ah, now what, Kagura-chan?" he asked in a mock helpless tone, his hands running carefully along her back. He delighted in the small shivers that emanated from the girl, finally culminating in a short, pleasurable moan. With a mischievous grin he pulled her down, capturing her lips in another long kiss.

"That's a start, Gin-chan." she answered as the two broke for air, her hair falling sensuously around her face. "But only a start." she whispered, leaning so that her breath ran carelessly against his right ear. The pair laughed with one another as they gave in to their desires.

There would probably be a lot of explaining to do, but as they consummated their new relationship one thing was clear to both. Whatever came ahead in life, they could handle it together. But for now, they would just enjoy each other's company and the soft pleasures of the flesh.  


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**Wow, so it really happened. Thinking back, it might be a little rushed at the end, so let me know how the pacing was for you guys. I hope it didn't go too far across that line of decency. Anyway, next time will be a return to GinKyuu stories, since I think Kagura needs a break :P **

**Also, I have undertaken a challenge of sorts to make a compelling 'M' rated Gintama fic, so look for that in the coming days all. No details for you guys yet, but I have what I think is a pretty good idea for it. Just needs some organizing. Again, reviews are always welcome.  
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	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Don't be too flashy on a busy street unless you like attention**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kyuubei**

**After a few GinKagu fics, here is my most recent GinKyuu attempt. I am not totally satisfied with this one, to be honest. There is a chance this will be one of the shorter attempts in this grouping of oneshots. It will be a two parter, and I hope the second part will be much better than this one. Let me know how you all liked it, as comments are always welcome. Enjoy the GinKyuu.

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Rubbing his face in frustration, Gintoki made his way slowly through the bustling streets. People in all manner of dress could be seen, from poor merchants in their family run shops to the fancily dressed patrons of the various seedy clubs. All had come out in force looking for one thing or another, whether it be valuable customers or just a good time to relieve the stress of daily life.

Looking around the crowd, he felt his head begin to throb, the noise from so many people echoing in his mind all at once. "The only downside to this part of town…" the man muttered to himself, stopping briefly to catch his breath. His temples were beginning to throb with the start of what could turn into a vicious headache, something the young man had grown accustomed to through his heavy drinking binges. He would never classify himself as an alcoholic, but he certainly did put it away when he felt like it.

Feeling his eyes begin to hood with the beginnings of sleep, clasping his hand idly over his mouth to cover the yawn. As it subsided, any exhaustion disappeared as he caught what looked like a very familiar sight. There, a good distance away from him, stood his one time opponent and occasional friend Yagyuu Kyuubei. Taking a few more steps towards the young girl, Gin found his jaw freezing in place at the sight of her.

In the middle of a large group of people, the girl stood like a deer frozen in the headlights. He could tell from experience with the girl that she was probably nervous with such a large group, but couldn't help be curious about her choice of garb. Her usual male attire replaced with what could only be described as the girliest clothing one could imagine. A pink kimono, adorned with flowers of blue and yellow draped down to her mid thighs, hugging her small frame quite closely.

Feeling a stitch on his forehead form, Gintoki pondered whether it would be better to ignore her and hope things were resolved on their own. After all, all the previous encounters with the young girl had proven quite troublesome for him and his band of oddballs. The tension in his head grew, hoping for someone else to intervene and handle the situation. As he watched the assembled crowd, the silver haired man felt his body tensing up. It was as though they had never seen a cute girl before.

Though, he had to admit to himself, she was a very charming young lady to behold. Only personal experience would warrant a warning about the girl. Remembering her phobia of men, Gintoki was about to turn around and make his way back to the Yorozuya before he heard a familiar shriek. In the center of the crowd, the young girl had grappled one of the closer admirers, sending him flying into the rest of the group.

Slapping his palm to his face, Gintoki quickly made his way through the crowd, finding it difficult as they were all so packed in. He had to think of something to say to disarm the situation, but nothing came to him. Finally her burst into the clearing, taking a gamble as he reached out to the girl, clasping his hand to her forearm. The soft silky material stood in stark contrast to the normal coat she wore, and as he gazed down at the girl, he felt himself begin to blush a bit.

Her looks were undeniable, as she was a very good looking young woman. When she decided to dress in such a way, that was. But looking into her deep brown eyes, the normal confidence of the young samurai was replaced with the socially awkward tendencies of the young woman. Taking a deep breath, Gintoki tried his best to reassure the young girl as he spoke.

"There you are. I have been looking all over for you." he began, noticing the slight catch in her breathing as she looked at him. With a subtle wink, he noticed her calm down a bit, but still looking quite vulnerable. "Come on, let's get out of here. Your sister is worried sick about you." he finished, grabbing her left hand as he made his way through the crowd.

No response from the girl could be heard as the pair made their way out of the crowd, the gathered mass of humanity parting before the silver haired samurai. Kyuubei kept her sight trained on the young man in front of her, feeling her face flush slightly as she sensed the heat emanating from him. The spot where their hands sat joined felt so unique to her, as though the flesh on her hand had come into close proximity to an open flame. Shaking the thought from her mind, she realized that he had stopped, his palms resting on his knees as he bent over, attempting to catch his breath.

"Thank you." she spoke softly, her hands clasped together in front of her as she fidgeted a bit. Turning his head slightly to the side, he considered the young girl, giving an almost imperceptible nod in acceptance.

"So, what are you doing out here today?" he asked straightforwardly, hands resting loosely on his hips as he straightened his body. Her fidgetting seemed to increase under his gaze, looking down at her feet as she seemed to ponder what to say. With a heavy sigh, he motioned for her to follow him, heading in the direction of Otose's shop. As the girl took her position next to him, he noticed that she was still looking quite sheepish, as though simply being out in the open was too much for her to handle.

"We're here." he mumbled as he began to ascend the wooden steps to his humble apartment. The girl fell in a short distance behind him, her mood seeming to brighten a bit at the prospect of a friendly atmosphere. As much as she tried, she could not seem to get as comfortable with social situations as she would like.

"Honey, I'm home." he hollered into the apartment as the door slid open, eliciting a surprised gasp from the young girl. She watched as he took off his boots, placing them on the small space at the front. With a shake of his head, he motioned for her to do the same, idly making his way towards a bench with cheap looking blue cushions on it. With a bit of hesitance, Kyuubei made her own way into the room, slipping her sandals off next to his black boots.

"Oh, you're finally back dear." A somehow familiar voice rang from somewhere inside the apartment, and Kyuubei felt her eyes widen in surprise as the young Yato girl made her way out from the hallway, her red Chinese dress swaying as she walked. Kyuubei felt an odd ping in her chest, quickly touching the spot of weakness before making her own way to the "sofa", taking a seat across from Gintoki.

She watched as the younger girl bounded happily into the living area, taking a seat to Gintoki's left. The small girl seemed to eye Kyuubei suspiciously, her blue eyes narrowing as she took a seat next to the leader of their little group. Legs tucked neatly underneath her, she immediately broke out into a fit of near derisive laughter.

"Pfft. Look at the 'Young Master' trying to be all girly." she snickered, fingers barely touching her lips as she mocked the young samurai. She felt her blood begin to quicken, embarrassed to be treated in such a way.

"Knock it off, Kagura." Gintoki interrupted the girl, giving her a knock to the back of her head. Kyuubei nearly felt a snicker escape her own lips, but managed to keep it in check. Taking a short breath, she glanced over at Gintoki, noticing the annoyed expression on his face as he eyed the young alien.

"So, Gin-san, you are an item, yes?" she asked, drawing a confused look from the older man. He and his young partner looked at her, then to one another, eye blinking in surprise. Both nearly immediately waved their hands in the air, dismissing the notion.

"Hey, what are you doing, insinuating that I would have anything to do with this _kid_." he excused, looking in the opposite direction of the young girl, his voice holding something in it that she could not place.

"Eww, gross. I would rather be with that Sadist Prince than this old, lazy, worthless piece of trash." Kagura grumbled, nearly mirroring the older man's expression, but with much harsher words. Her voice held the same something that Kyuubei could not place, but was very suspicious all the same. But even as her mind thought on their statements, she felt a sense of relief in her chest, deep inside her heart. A feeling she had not experienced in a long time, it threw her off a bit.

She watched with amused interest as the two began to argue, the insults becoming more vulgar and it seemed the pair would actually begin to brawl, so Kyuubei cleared her throat to bring their attention back to her. With their own throat clearing, the two idiots took their original positions, and for a brief instant, she could swear she saw them blush at each other.

"So, what can we help you with today, Young Master?" Gintoki asked, putting a not completely respectful emphasis on the title as he rested his left ankle upon his right leg, his arms spread over the top edge of the sofa. Shaking the insult, as well as Kagura's renewed laughter off, Kyuubei took a deep breath. Feeling her twin ponytails brushing pleasantly on her soft cheeks, she cast her soft sight on Gintoki.

"Gin-san, I want you to make me a woman." she requested, with as much seriousness and sincerity as she could muster.

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**Kyuubei is a harder character for me to write in than Kagura, so it might take a few attempts to get it just right. Anyway, next time we find out what she meant by what she said. Rating goes all the way up to T, and maybe more? But probably not :P So, let me know where you guys feel I could improve with this pairing, as I am just not as comfortable writing it as GinKagu fluff. Look forward to part 2 soon. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Careful what you wish for**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kyuubei**

**Here is the second part to the previous chapter. Turned out a little mixed in my opinion. Kyuubei is a cute, fun character to work with, but much harder to pin down than Kagura. Anyway, here is the story for your consideration. Basically the pair go on a date, and things go the way things always go in Gintama: badly. Reviews always appreciated. Enjoy.

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Rubbing the back of his neck slowly, the young man turned his head to his younger partner, looking quite confused by the situation. The pair seemed to hold an entire conversation between the two of them, spoken without words. He seemed to look to the younger girl for advice, recommendation on how to proceed. But the young alien seemed to look back with hesitation and a hint of sadness. _'What is going on between them?'_ Kyuubei thought to herself, watching the actions for a few moments.

"Umm…" she mumbled after a minute, drawing the attention of the other two in the room. Kyuubei listened as they cleared their throats, each bringing their attention back to the young samurai.

"Oh, yeah. Well, umm, what did you, uh, have in mind?" Gintoki tried his best to ask, his words coming out in an unusually flustered mumble. The girl could not help but smirk a bit at the sight, as he had always seemed so calm and stable. It should not bother him so much to be asked such a thing, but she figured it might require some further explanation. Raising a hand gently, the young woman gathered her senses enough to explain her request.

"Well, I remember the events that have been tried previously, in order to cure my particular phobia." she began, noticing the looks of defeat on the faces of the other two, each looking quite perturbed by the previous debacles. Everything seemed to go wrong where they were concerned, a fact enforced by all the encounters Kyuubei had experienced with Gintoki and his group.

"Ah, there's no need to go over things in the past." Gintoki answered quickly, clearly disturbed by the memories of the failed events.

"Very well. But for some time now, it still holds true that there is only one man with whom I can handle physical contact." she spoke softly, her gaze slightly shifting downward, a light pink hue staining her cheeks. The silver haired samurai sat in place, turning his crimson orbs towards the front door, slight embarrassment at the memory.

"Ok, so why should Gin-chan accept your offer to make you a woman?" the Yato girl spoke, an undercurrent of accusation and jealousy in her voice that was unmistakable. Gin clearly noticed it as well, giving his young protégé a swift smack to the head, making a comment for the girl to behave. With a gentle bow of the head, Kyuubei continued, elaborating on her request.

"Well, after thinking about it, all the… failures, of past events seem to stem from a group setting." This fact was undeniable, and the two Yorozuya members nodded their heads in affirmation. IT seemed that anyone who was around their group for any period of time had the same opinion. The more people around Gintoki, the higher chances for an outbreak of idiocy and random acts of stupidity. "So, this time, I think it would be more beneficial if it were a more intimate setting."

At this, Gintoki rubbed his chin carefully, considering the young woman's request. It was true that he had a tendency to bring out people's inner idiot, seemingly at the most inopportune moments. But could a date really be the answer?

"I don't think you should do it, Gin-chan. You only get one virginity, so you have to be careful what you do." Kagura snapped, a distinct motherly tone to her voice. Gintoki noticed the other girl in the room blush brightly, clearly having had something else in mind entirely. But he couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed, instead feeling an anger rise in his chest.

"Who said I was a virgin, you idiot." he growled, comedically slapping the girl's head once more, stitches forming on his hand and forehead. Taking a deep breath, the natural permed young man tried to gather his senses again, watching with some amusement as Kagura rubbed the area where he had struck her. As his dark red eyes came in contact with those of the female samurai, she seemed to get what he was thinking, shaking her head quickly before speaking.

"I-I didn't mean that." she stuttered a bit, trying to gain her composure. Kagura's outburst had put all manner of image into her naïve mind, images she could not quite seem to shake.

"Well, we'll just have to see how things go first." Gintoki broke the silence, drawing gasps from the two girls in the room. He noticed Kagura stare daggers at the other girl, who simply sat dumbfounded at his lack of a complete denial. "So, when is a good time?" he asked, breaking her out of her mild stupor. Shaking her head slightly, the girl attempted to look directly at the older man, an attempt at being polite and yet social. But a soft fluttering in her stomach would not leave even as she spoke.

"Any time would be fine, Gintoki-san." she answered, finding herself fidgetting slightly in place. A seemingly dissatisfied sigh from the older man echoed in the room as he stood from his seat, motioning for the girl to follow him.

"Well, Kagura-chan, I guess we'll be back later." he spoke gently, a soft wave of his hand as he slipped on his boots and exited the small apartment. Kyuubei felt a little stab in her heart at the seemingly dejected look on the young alien, who only nodded as the pair made their way out of the home.

Falling in to Gintoki's right, Kyuubei thought about just what she was doing. It was true that she still held some of her old phobia of men, but not to the degree it had been before she met Gintoki. She got such a pleasant feeling from being around him, as though his aura simply put people around him at ease. It had to be some sort of natural talent he possessed, for it was certainly not his charm that drew people to him.

Yet, for all the flaws he most certainly possessed, she had witnessed many occasions where he showed great insight and wisdom. She wondered briefly why he decided not to show these aspects of his personality more often. The girl was shaken from her thought as Gintoki stopped in his tracks, grasping her hand as he did so.

"We're here." he said, hiking a thumb to the small ramen shop, the scents of food wafting deliciously out from inside. Kyuubei could not help the small rumble that emanated from her stomach, the scents seeming absolutely delicious to her. "Heh, this place has the best ramen in town." Gin answered, seemingly catching her thoughts as he pried open the curtain indicating the entrance to the shop. With a short bow, he motioned for the young woman to head in first.

With a smile, she bowed graciously back to the older man, making her way into the ramen shop. As she entered the small restaurant the girl was overcome by the distinct aromas, taking a seat near a window. She watched as Gintoki took up a seat right across from her, his head turning to the small placards placed throughout the room. He seemed almost deep in thought as he considered what it was he would order.

"Ah, if it isn't Gin-san." A young blonde woman spoke from behind the counter, drawing a smile and a wave of the hand from the silver haired samurai. "Been a while since you came in here." The way she spoke to Gin was rather friendly, and Kyuubei wondered if there was something between the two beyond owner/customer. A small pang in her chest resounded with that thought, sinking her brows in a confused expression. What was this she was feeling?

"So, Ikumatsu-san, what would you recommend today?" Gintoki asked easily, settling fully into the oddly comfortable seat. Kyuubei noticed the snicker from the young woman at the counter, catching a sly wink from the young woman as she turned back to her work.

"Two specials it is." Ikumatsu spoke as she set about preparing the dishes. The smells that wafted in their direction was quite enticing, and the one-eyed girl felt quite anxious to dig into the food. At least, until she remembered the garb she was still wearing. With that, she seemed to sink into her seat a bit, frustrated by her choice of garb. She thought briefly about what she should do, before she noticed a shift in Gintoki's seat.

"Here." he said simply, handing his familiar white kimono to the younger girl, the blue swirls hanging loosely down. With a moment's hesitation, she took the garb, noticing how warm it seemed. "The bathroom is over there. You can wear this until you're done." The young man had seemed to read her mind, rubbing his neck as he motioned for her to take his charity. With a bow of her head, the young woman made her way into the small bathroom, her heart beating a bit faster as she unfurled the white kimono.

She could tell that it was well worn, as he was almost never seen without it. With an unfamiliarly girlish sigh she began to remove her own clothing, pulling her hair into the familiar single ponytail as the colorful garments pooled at her feet. As she slipped her arms into the sleeves of his white kimono, Kyuubei could not help but smile. He really was a good deal bigger than her, and it was a mild struggle to tighten the garment enough to fit comfortably.

Once she felt it was secured in a reasonable fashion, she gathered her own clothing, folding it neatly before heading back out into the small restaurant. Somehow she felt quite comfortable, and knew why Gintoki would wear such a thing so often.

"Oh, that looks quite nice on you, Kyuu-chan." Gintoki leered a bit from his seat, an amused smirk on his face. The nickname bothered her a bit, but decided better of a confrontation. Taking her seat in front of the silver haired young man, she offered thanks for use of the garment, bowing slightly. "Ah, it's nothing so special. Don't be so formal."

It seemed he was truly not one for being overly polite, drawing an amused grin from the young girl. It seemed there was something innocent in this samurai after all, she thought to herself. Setting her flowery pink garb next to her, the girl waited along with her companion for their food to arrive. After a few minutes, the blonde woman came from behind the counter, producing two steaming bowls of rather tasty looking food.

"Here ya go, two house specials." the older woman said, slapping Gin playfully on the back as she turned back to the counter. Grabbing their chopsticks, the pair split them apart before saying the traditional phrase before eating.

"Ittadakimasu!" they spoke nearly in unison, before dipping the thin wood sticks into the steaming ramen. The meal passed in relative silence, each taking an odd occasion for small talk. But the silence was not uncomfortable, and was in fact quite pleasant. Kyuubei's theory about Gintoki seemed to prove correct, as no incident seemed to be looming.

"Ah, Ikumatsu-san, sorry for being late." A young man, who seemed about Gintoki's age walked into the restaurant, a look of guilt seemingly etched on his face. He had not taken more than two steps into the restaurant before stopping, casting his gaze towards the silver haired samurai.

"Yo, Zura." Gin spoke easily, wiping a few traces of food from his lips as he waved a lazy hand at the other man.

"It's not Zura. It's Katsura." the man spoke, seeming quite agitated by Gintoki's familiarity and the nickname.

"Ah, you're late Katsura-san." the proprietor of the small shop near yelled, looking quite agitated. Gintoki felt a loud chuckle escape his lips at his friend's predicament, watching as he looked quite cowed before the young woman. Suddenly Gintoki's mirthful face dropped, a look of near panic showing in his eyes.

"Oh, Kyuu-chan, maybe we should get out of here." he spoke, fumbling in his pockets briefly for some money. He seemed quite bothered being there suddenly, and she could not figure out quite why.

"Why the sudden hurry, Gintoki-san?" she asked innocently, as she noticed Gintoki peering through the clear window. His head turning from side to side, he seemed to almost be on the lookout for someone, drawing a more confused expression from the young girl before Gin looked directly to her.

"If Zura is here then-" he was cut off as a large explosion sent a cloud of dust into the small restaurant, the sound drowning out any conversation. "-those idiots will certainly be here." Gintoki finished once the noise had died down, three figures emerging from the smoke.

"Dammit Sougo, what the hell did I tell you?" A gruff voice rang out from within the smoke, sounding quite agitated.

"Ah, it looks like I missed." a much younger yet annoying sounding voice spoke from much closer, a young boy emerging from the thick dust. Wiping himself off, he set a large bazooka down on the ground, surveying the destruction he had caused. Near instantly Kyuubei could tell that this boy was trouble, her body tensing as his vision focused on the pair. "Ah, Danna. What are you doing here?" he asked in a rather lazy manner, his left hand coming up to stifle a yawn.

"Oh, we were just leaving actually." Gintoki excused, his head bowed slightly as he placed a bit of cash on the table in front of him. With a short nod of the head he motioned for Kyuubei to follow him as he stood from his seat, making his way quickly to the front entrance.

"If it isn't our old friend." the same voice from earlier spoke, the dust settling as he drew a sword, pointing it directly in Gintoki's direction. The man's black hair hung loosely around his face, his ever present cigarette hanging from his lips as he smirked at Gintoki. "I always knew that you were in with the Joi faction, Yorozuya." Kyuubei felt her brow quirk a bit at this, curious as to Gintoki's thoughts on the matter.

Looking over at Gintoki, she caught a glimpse of his rather lame expression. His eyes had closed into something resembling a pair of half circles, with straight lines at the top. He seemed quite confused by the present situation, a contrast to his almost knowing attitude only a moment earlier.

"Ara, what are you talking about, Ogushi-kun?" he spoke, an even, irritating tone to his voice. Kyuubei chuckled a bit to herself at the tension in the Shinsengumi's vice commander, his body almost visibly shaking with frustration.

"Hey, watch it Toshi." the third voice came from behind the vice commander, a taller man came into the restaurant, surveying the damage that Sougo had perpetrated. Though everyone in town knew it, none would say anything. Okita Sougo, known to some as the Prince of Sadists, was almost worse than the terrorists he tried to catch, causing untold amounts of damage about town.

Hijikata felt himself deflate, his breathing erratic as he tried to regain his composure. Dropping his sword slightly, Gintoki tried to make his way out of the restaurant once more, intent on not getting involved with whatever was going on. It seemed he was a magnet for all kinds of trouble, especially where his friends were involved.

"And where do you think you're going?" the vice commander asked, stopping Gintoki a mere few feet from the entrance, drawing a frustrated sigh from the silver haired young man. The smug expression on Hijikata's face left the impression that he had some personal grudge against the so-called 'Shiroyasha', one which he would take any opportunity to settle.

"Well, me and Kyuu-chan have places to go today." he answered coolly, turning his gaze lazily at the young man. Kyuubei felt Hijikata's gaze fall on her, noticing a slightly more disturbed expression on his face as he got a sight of her. His body could not hold in his frustration, and he began to shake visibly.

"Ah, that's right. You lost to Kyuubei at the dojo that time, Ogushi-kun." Sougo spoke, hand perched idly on his chin, taking pleasure in tormenting his "superior" officer. Bringing up his humiliating defeat was too much, and soon his sword was trained on the younger boy, agitation showing clearly on Hijikata's face.

"Say that again, you bastard." he spat, his attention shifting from Gintoki and his companion. Gintoki took advantage of the opportunity, clasping Kyuubei's soft hand in his own as he ran. After the pair had made their way some distance down the road, there was a loud explosion, and Gintoki stopped briefly, sending a glance back towards the ramen shop.

"Will they be alright?" Kyuubei asked, her visible eye showing her worry after the large explosion.

"Yeah. Those guys do this all the time, so they'll be fine." Gintoki dismissed the situation, sighing as he considered what they should do now. His eyes shooting open, he gaped at the young girl, still adorned in his white kimono. "Ummn, Kyuu-chan?" he asked, drawing her attention back to him. The tone to his voice made her wonder briefly if she should be worrying about something.

"What is it Gintoki-san?" she asked, feeling a light breeze blow past as she considered the older man.

"Did you remember to bring your clothes with you when we left?" his simple question sent an embarrassed shock through the young girl, as she blushed a bright tone of red. Turning her gaze to her feet briefly, she shook her head in acknowledgement that she had indeed forgotten.

"Ah, I figured." he muttered lazily, as though everything in the world was conspiring against him on this day. With a quick sigh, he set his sights around the bustling town, the Sun just beginning to set in the distant sky. Finally bringing his gaze back on the young girl accompanying him, the older man wondered what they should do now.

"Maybe we should call it an evening?" Kyuubei suggested, a current of sadness on her tone as she spoke. At her defeated tone, Gin felt a pang in his chest, a sense of guilt over the day's events. After all, it had been his old friend Zura that had been the cause of all the trouble.

"How about a few drinks?" he suggested gently, turning his gaze away from the young girl as she considered his words. It took her a minute to get over the initial shock of the suggestion, before a smile broke across her soft features.

"That would be most enjoyable, Gin-san." she answered cheerfully, an odd happiness overtaking her. She had figured that Gintoki would not want to spend any more time with her, but it somehow made her rather happy that he had made the suggestion. Surprising both herself and her friend, she hooked her arm carelessly through his own, as though she were no longer in control of herself. Kyuubei let a blush creep on her cheeks as Gintoki led her to a nearby bar.

"I guess you really are a girl at heart." he mused to himself, just loud enough that she could hear the amused tone to his voice. With a small laugh, she followed him into the bar, taking a seat to his left at the counter.

"Looks that way. But don't forget, you promised to make me into a woman this night, Gin-san." The way she spoke sent a shiver through the young samurai, wondering if she truly meant what she had said. Looking curiously at the young girl, he couldn't help but smile himself. She certainly looked comfortable, her smile radiating a pure kind of warmth he had not experienced much in recent times.

"Hmm." he mumbled, his gaze fixed intently upon the young girl to his left, watching as she brought her soft gaze upon him. He wondered if it was just the atmosphere, or something else entirely, but as he gazed at her, she seemed to become cuter. Shaking the thought from his head, he barely registered her question on his hearing.

"What is it, Gin-san?" she asked directly, an unfamiliar sweetness coming through her words. What was wrong with her? She felt so odd around him, so defenseless. But whereas in the past that would have scared her, being around him felt comfortable. Like he could take care of her. She had seen him act in such a way with those close to him, and knew, deep down, that he would do it for her as well.

"Ah, I was just thinking that I like this Kyuu-chan best." he spoke, eliciting a surprised gasp from the young girl. He chuckled a bit at her reaction, taking the last sips of his drink as he looked up towards the ceiling. "An honest smile fits you better than just an act." Her heart nearly stopped in her chest, realizing what he was saying. He had been able to read her so well, through all the distractions.

"T-thank you, Gin-san." she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. Looking down at the counter, she felt her body warm, from the deepest part of her being outward.

"So, there's no rush to make you a wo-" he was broken in mid statement as the girl leaned gently forward, catching his lips with her own in a soft kiss. It was not lustful, or overly passionate. No tongues were involved, and even as the shock wore off, Gintoki felt himself leaning forward slightly, enjoying the velvety feel of the girl's lips on his own. After a few moments, the girl leaned back, the blush darker than before.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." the young girl tied to excuse, noticing that Gintoki had gone oddly silent. Figuring that he had been angry at her, she began to leave her seat, only to feel his strong hand on her forearm.

His eyes said more than his words ever could, and she could tell he was confused by something. Truly she did not understand it herself well at all, but something had taken over. She felt it would be right to do, and the feelings she still held on her lips affirmed that thought. Thinking back, it was possible she had felt this way for a long time, but hadn't been able to pin the feeling down. It was a genuine affection, one similar to how she felt for Shimura Tae, yet different at the same time.

They passed a long time in the bar, a companionable silence between the pair as they thought on what had transpired. Kyuubei felt an almost giddy happiness at the thought, surprised at Gin's seeming naivete as their lips had come in contact. Somehow she had thought he would be more forceful, but had enjoyed being proven wrong. Finally the evening began to wear on, and Gintoki offered to take the young woman home.

"I had a good time today, Gin-san." she spoke softly, letting her hand idly fall into grasp with his, the warmth feeling quite nice as the air around them cooled with the night. Neither had any words of deep insight to speak, but none needed to be said. She knew now how she felt, and hoped that, someday, he would have a similar thought for her.

'_Someday'_ the girl thought, _'someday I'll have you make a woman of me yet.' _Kyuubei knew that Tae would be quite surprised to know her thoughts, but wasn't worried. After all, no one that she had come across was stronger than Gintoki. What could there be to fear? With this, the girl felt a smile tug at her lips, as she surprised the older man with another shy, innocent kiss before disappearing into her family's dojo.

"Young Master, where have you been?" her retainer asked, worry dripping from every word. Casting him a sidelong glance, she simply bowed before hurrying to her room. She was in great spirits as she readied for sleep, thoughts of the pair of kisses she had obtained dancing in her mind.

Laying down to sleep, her mind held a single thought. '_I wonder what other talents he has.'_ An amused smile crossed her face as she slept, dreaming of things that could be. The future promised to be quite entertaining.

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**Well, there you have it. I am not too happy about the ending. That is always the hardest part of a story to me, coming up with a satisfactory ending. Let me know how it turned out. I always like hearing what the readers think. Next time I am still deciding whether to do another GinKyuu or try my first Gin/Sa-chan. What do you all think? **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Just a sweet little moment**

**Rating: M to be safe**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura**

**Wow, seems like forever since I wrote anything. I had some severe writers block. Not necessarily in terms of ideas and stuff, but just on how to get started. So, here is this. Not my best work, just something a little lemony. No real story, the title is pretty descriptive of what to expect. So, enjoy the GinKagu fluff people. **

**Oh, and for those who might be wondering, I will not be making attempts at Gin/Sa-chan stories. I just don't feel like I can capture that character, so I would rather not try. However, for those of you who like Sa-chan, I highly recommend 'Love is an Illusion if the Opposite Tells lies' by Shuji Nonohana. Awesomely hilarious stuff there.**

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Propping his head up on his right hand, Gin lay there, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere that filled the small room. His face showed no real expression, yet still displayed his care and appreciation for the girl who lay only a short distance away. Slowly, he felt his lips curl into a smile, listening to the incoherent mumbling of the girl's slumber.

Feeling adventurous, the young samurai reached his free hand from its place at his side, lightly pressing his hand against the nape of the girl's neck. He smiled in satisfaction at the small sigh that escaped her lips, feeling the soft strands of her red hair fall over his own skin.

Slowly he fanned his fingers out against the back of her neck, his large hand allowing his fingers to reach the underside of the girl's jaw. With only a faint pressure of his fingers, he traced over each inch of her skin, savoring each new sigh from the girl beside him.

The girl's jaw was slight, distinctly feminine. Gin let the tip of his finger linger at the point of her chin before drawing back, ghosting his fingers gently against her skin. Each movement of his skin against hers brought a new sigh, a new shiver from the slight frame beside him.

Once his fingers had rejoined at the girl's nape, he ran only his thumb back towards her face, rubbing it gently just behind her ear. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. The warmth and feel of it was absolutely perfect beneath his calloused touch, and he found himself wondering how such a perfect creature could exist.

Withdrawing all but his middle two fingers from her neck, he slowly traced the outline of her back, feeling the hidden muscles surrounding her spine. The girl's shoulders shook a bit at his touch, her breathing steadily growing more shallow. The smirk on his face showed his satisfaction, knowing just where to touch the girl to send electricity through her.

The slight movement of the blanket near their feet told him that her toes were curling, her back moving towards his touch, subconsciously trying to deepen the contact between the two. Wanting to keep the contact light, he pulled back just enough to keep his fingers touching. If she had not been asleep, the sound he heard might have passed for a sigh of frustration, a thought that warmed his smile just that much more.

Making sure his fingers never strayed from their path, he cast a knowing glance around the room, taking stock of the discarded clothing in various places across the floor. The memory of the pleading tone of her voice, the desperation in her blue eyes still flashed in his mind, her intensity then completely different from the peace she showed at this moment.

As he reached the small of the girl's back, Gin traced light patterns on her skin, his fingers simply savoring the heat of her body. Each pass brought his touch closer to her hip, his thumb tracing lazily over the flesh near her tailbone. He was tempted to simply close the remainder of the distance, rest his hands on the soft flesh of her backside, but held off.

Leaning his head forward a bit, the young samurai blew a gentle breath across the younger girl's ear, watching a few strands of hair pick up in the breeze. Innocent gasps melted into a full moan, her small frame tensing a bit at the gesture.

Barely able to stifle an amused chuckle at his handiwork, Gin let his hand finally fall upon her hip, his fingers tracing the skin down the side of her thigh. Letting the edge of the blanket travel down with his fingers, he watched as the soft flesh of her thighs came into view. The creamy, smooth skin matched with that of her back, its even tone pleasant as it sat in contrast to the fiery red hair.

His fingers were able to discern the small goosebumps that appeared on her skin, his fingers finally resting just above her left knee. Feeling a bit more mischievous, he moved his hand towards the front of her thigh, resting it there for only an instant. With more purpose than before, he meticulously moved the strong appendage along the soft flesh, putting all his care into his touch.

The girl's legs began to move in a sweet, innocent kind of way, as though trying to somehow close out the intense pleasure she was feeling under his touch. It made him happy to know the effect such simple gestures had on the girl, how sensitive she seemed to him. Completely the opposite of the girl he had gotten to know over the years.

Slowly he let his hand travel between her legs, moving along the soft skin towards her most sensitive spot. But before he could reach his goal, he felt her surprisingly strong grip grabbing his hand. Slim, tender fingers intertwined with his own, bringing his hand to a resting place on her hip.

"Good morning, Kagura." he whispered in her ear, his smile showing in his voice. With a light tug, the girl seemed to pull his arm more tightly over her waist. A light giggle on her voice, the girl mirrored his greeting.

"Good morning, Gin-chan." She sounded so content, so happy. Just the way he felt whenever she was around. Removing his hand from its position supporting his head, the young man snaked it carefully yet quickly beneath the girl, joining his other hand as he clamped tightly on her waist.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, a teasing more than caring tone to his voice. A slight turn of her head, and he caught sight of those clear eyes, his heart beating just a bit faster at the sight of them. The moment did not last long enough, as the girl turned back to her original position.

"Of course I slept well." she answered, her body scooting closer to his. Each curve of her back seemed to simply melt into his own strong frame, her body fitting to his perfectly. Using his thumbs, Gin traced lazy circles on her hipbones, her fingers still entwined with his. Leaning his head forward once more, he planted a soft, teasing kiss on her neck, to which he was rewarded with another delicious sigh of pleasure from the younger girl.

"Geez, that's not nice." Kagura tried to retort to his actions, finding her body weakening beneath his touch. His hands felt like blurs of flame against her skin, the intensity feeling like it would scorch her at any second.

The small, sensual touches brought back memories of the night before, and she felt her body heat up at the thought. It was not the first for them, and certainly not to be the last. Yet somehow, it seemed more intense. More passionate. Whereas it was usually a more sweet, innocent sort of thing, this was more memorable to her. She found that as rough as she wanted it to be, he was more than capable of obliging.

Willing her memories off of the night before, she focused on his lazy yet focused touches, the aimless wandering of his fingers on her skin. The girl tried to keep her body from caving at his touches, knowing how much he loved to hear the soft sounds her body made. Biting down on her bottom lip, she felt her body responding instinctively, pressing herself carelessly against his.

"Ah, somehow I don't feel like getting up today." he muttered in his usually lazy tone of voice, his arms gripping the girl tighter to him.

"Me either." she answered truthfully, the world around her feeling almost like a dream. Nothing seemed to come into focus, save for the immediate vicinity. All she could feel was his body next to hers.

It would not be the first time that neither left the small apartment, given Gintoki's carefree, lazy attitude towards life. But she was happy with it. Taking the initiative, Kagura brought his hand along with her own, bringing it to rest on her most sensitive spot.

She could feel the smile on his lips as he kissed her neck, his other arm moving along her body as well, his hand resting carelessly atop the soft flesh on her chest. Her toes curled just a bit with the contact, both her sensitive spots being touched at once.

"Gin-chan?" she asked, her voice nearly cracking between her gasps. His fingers began to repeat their actions of nights past, each touch effectively pressing her buttons. He seemed to be focused on the task at hand, not giving any acknowledgement to her question, so she continued.

"How would you feel about kids?" Gintoki's touches stopped momentarily, his breath catching a bit in his throat. Turning in his grasp, the girl looked directly into his crimson eyes, catching a hint of apprehension in his gaze. Moving her right hand up, she let her fingers caress his left cheek.

Her touch seemed to calm whatever nerves he might have had, and he smiled to her. A warm, genuine smile that brought a similar one from her. With one swift gesture, he had rolled onto his back, pulling the girl on top of him at the same time.

"I don't know about kids. How could I ever handle two of you, eh?" he teased, chuckling at the idea of another kid just like Kagura. Pushing off of his chest, the girl worked herself into a sitting position. Her back straight, she let her weight rest idly atop his waist, her red hair falling down around her soft features.

It had seemed like only yesterday that they had met the first time, the irresponsible samurai running the poor girl down with his scooter. Through the years, they had enjoyed many kinds of experiences together. Battles with space pirates, terrorist factions, weird neighbors and everything in between. The years had passed in a flash, the 13 year old girl now replaced with a 17 year old young woman.

Where once there was a tomboy, whose figure could easily have been mistaken for such, there was now a lovely young woman. She had let her hair grow out a bit longer, as her curves began to develop. It hadn't taken long for just about all the guys around to take notice of her.

But Gin was the one she adored, a feeling that had developed from a girl crush to something deeper. Kagura still remembered how excited she had been when he had reluctantly accepted her feelings, how relieved she had felt at the time. Never had she imagined that she would be here with him like this, her body completely bare before his gaze.

Yet, she found she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the openness between the two, the close bond they had formed. Her hands resting on either side of his head, the girl looked directly into his eyes, trying to find some sort of hint of his thoughts. It was something she often tried to do, to no avail. He was surprisingly good at hiding his thoughts and feelings when he felt like it, something that frustrated her.

"I guess it would be hard for someone like you." she teased back, trying to get a rise out of the samurai. Her reward for the barb was a firm grasp on her bottom, his hands squeezing tightly on the firm mounds of flesh.

"And what is that supposed to mean, huh?" Gin asked, smirking in triumph at the girl on top of him. He could tell she was trying to suppress a moan, his hands kneading the supple flesh in his grip.

"N-nothing." His touches always broke through whatever façade she tried to put up, another thing that frustrated her to no end. She could feel that familiar heat building deep inside of her, building with each soft squeeze of his hands.

"So, how do you feel about kids, Kagura?" he asked, the teasing tone of his voice replaced with an odd sort of seriousness. Gradually, the girl tried to get hold of her breathing, trying to calm down as she gazed at the young man beneath her.

Kagura wondered if it was something he thought about at all, or if he was just mimicking her own thoughts. The serious look on his face was so out of character it clutched her heart, wondering what he was thinking exactly. She figured for herself that he was worried about his age and his lifestyle and all sorts of other things. With a reassuring smile on her face, the girl leaned down towards him.

Her soft breasts pressing against his chest, she placed a sweet, innocent kiss on his lips. Gin reciprocated by running his hands up her sides, resting on her hips as he returned the kiss. The innocence quickly melted away, giving way to an intensity that both were familiar with, tongues crashing together for dominance.

Saliva mixed together, smacking sounds bounced from the surrounding walls. Kagura could not hold in the moans any longer, as the sound of her contentment added themselves to the symphony of noise. She hated the way he could make her feel so good, make her feel so weak and strong at the same time. After an all too brief eternity, the young girl broke the lock, pushing herself back into a sitting position.

"Well… I don't… know if I could handle… two of you, Gin-chan." The broken words of the young girl brought an amused chuckle from the older man, his hands swiftly finding a perch on her soft cheeks.

"Oh, I guess that's to be expected from someone like you." he teased once more, his thumbs stroking the soft, slightly flushed skin on her face. Her body seemed torn, trying to lean into both his embraces simultaneously, unable to pick one or the other.

"What's that mean?" she asked, feigning hurt at his "insult". Her only response was a smile before he pulled her down for another deep, passionate kiss.

"Nothing." he answered after breaking the kiss, his attention lost in her eyes. He seemed to really be considering something very intently. Finally, he seemed to reach some sort of conclusion.

"So, how about we give it a try, Kagura?" At first, she wondered if he was serious. She felt her heart swell with happiness as she leaned in, kissing him deeply in affirmation.

Somehow, despite their respective problems, Kagura knew that they would make great parents. She would just have to hope they didn't have twins.

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**Wow, I wonder how the town would manage if they ended up having twins? Two Gintokis and two Kaguras would be hard to handle, to be sure. Small announcement for my plans in writing. This grouping, 'Jack of All Trades' will officially go 21 chapters. At least one more try at GinKyuu, maybe two. Then a few tries at Gintoki x Tsukuyo. Don't ask me why, but I seem to be liking that pairing more and more lately. Finally, the last chapter will be a sort of special cap for it, a GinKagu wedding. Also a glimpse at their future, which does include kids. I am already anxious to write that one myself.**

**As for my other stories, a bit of priority will go towards 'Once Upon A Time Girl', as I really would like to finish a story one of these days, and that would be the easiest to do so. But I will try to publish in this order: Once Upon A Time - Family Affair - Various oneshot. We'll see how it goes, but as you know, reviews are always appreciated. Hope you enjoyed the GinKagu fluff. Until next time.  
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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Back to Nature**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairing: Gintoki x Kyuubei (GinKyuu)**

**Once I actually got the idea for this one, it was pretty fun to write. Not entirely pleased with it, but opinions as always are for you readers to formulate. Basically, Gintoki decides he needs a break from his group of weirdos, and so heads on a trek into the forest for a few days. But Gin is not lucky enough to be totally alone as he runs into a familiar face. Set-up is a bit forced, but as I said, it was kinda fun to write. Rekindled my liking for the pairing, so I will do at least one more oneshot featuring it. That said, enjoy and as always, comments are VERY MUCH appreciated.

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Letting the wind brush carelessly against his face, long fishing rod held loosely across his shoulder, a young man lazily made his way through the thick forest. Cool, crisp air filled his lungs, the scents of nature heavy all around him. Specks of sunlight filtered idly through the thick canopy of trees, lighting his path as he walked.

A gentle rustling sound of the leaves added itself to the light crunch of twigs under his feet. All around him, everything seemed saturated with the blissful simplicity of the natural world. Stopping briefly, the young man closed his eyes, feeling the cool air on his skin, each burst whipping his silver locks carelessly around.

Opening his dull crimson eyes, he gazed at the wonders of the natural world. Above his head, he could hear the light flapping of birds' wings, their forms invisible through the thick growth of the trees. The bushes around him gave an occasional rustling of their own, and he imagined the squirrels and rabbits scurrying away from some predator.

His dark brown bokuto strapped in its usual position at his side, opposite the long line for fishing. The breeze blew his loose white sleeves around, bringing with it all manner of memories from days long past. Drawing in a large, deep breath, he closed his eyes once more, shutting out all the unpleasant memories. This was not the time for introspection, not the time to think of such negative things.

He had decided to take a break from his life. Take a break from crazy alien girls, overly serious swordsmen in training. A break from idiotic police officers, crazy stalkers, a noisy landlady looking for back rent, and terrorists masquerading as freedom fighters. The stress of his supposedly lazy lifestyle was getting to him, and so once Kagura and Shinpachi had left on whatever activities they might be enjoying, Gin decided it would be good for him to get out on his own for a bit.

Just a short camping trip, a couple of days away from the bustling, overcrowded city. Relax in the simplicity of nature, a short little fishing trip. Letting his eyes take in the lush browns and greens around him once more, he felt the corners of his mouth curl into a genuine, relaxed smile.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the company of his partners, his loyal group of friends. Quite the opposite, really. He loved having them around, loved having people to simply be with and have no expectations. All sorts of hilarity seemed to follow them around, and he loved every minute of it. But, even for someone as strong of body and mind as Gintoki needs a break every now and then.

Moving his head from side to side, he listened carefully, hoping to find a stream nearby to set up a makeshift camp. All he could hear at first was that familiar rustling of leaves and branches, as though the forest itself was mocking him. His smile perked up a bit more after a minute of listening, as he heard the distinct sound of rushing water. It was gentle, barely audible to his hearing, but unmistakable nonetheless.

Getting a bearing on the location, he headed off in the direction his hearing told, the soft sound of running water increasing in volume as he approached. But as he approached the source of the sound, it became clearer that it was not just a stream. The unmistakable sound of a waterfall came to replace the gentle trickling sound, and he cursed at his mistake to himself.

As he entered a small opening in the bush, he realized that it would indeed make an adequate campsite. Standing in the center of the opening, he let his gaze fall on the waterfall, its impressive sound filling his ears. Light traces of the clear mist fell atop him, the crisp droplets cooling his skin beneath the bright sunlight.

Once his small pack of supplies had been set down, Gin let himself rest on a nearby rock, simply watching the white foam of water in a large pool. Large stones circled around, interrupted on one side by the beginnings of a stream. He wondered idly if there would be any fish to catch, his red eyes falling on the pole to his side. The thought of nothing to eat was not new to him, but was unexpected nonetheless.

Figuring he could think about it later, Gin decided to take a dip in the cold water first, to get better acquainted with nature. Shedding his heavy boots, the young samurai felt a sense of relief, the cool air washing over his previously heated feet. It always felt good to have cool air against your skin, especially on a warm day.

Wiggling his toes carelessly against the light breeze, Gintoki stopped in his tracks, blinking a few times in surprise. Tilting his head gently to the side, he caught sight of something he had not noticed before. He rubbed his eyes carefully, trying to get the image from his mind. Yet, it still remained. Apparently he was not the only one trying to get away from the complexities of life.

Furrowing his brows, the young samurai tried to think of anyone he knew who would make such a retreat. All his associates seemed very entrenched in the daily comforts of the modern world, and would never make their way into the woods simply for an escape. Bringing a hand to his chin, he stroked it in thought, eyes casting themselves onto the ground below him.

No image came to mind, finally drawing a frustrated sigh from his lips. With a shake of his head, he decided it wasn't important, and so he slipped his white kimono from his shoulders, letting it rest on the large stone behind him. The bright color of the fabric contrasted with the dark charcoal, nearly black tone of the stone.

The black that marked his underclothing matched the surroundings a bit better, the earthy hues nearly encompassing him entirely. Save for the patch of bright, silver hair atop his head. As he turned his gaze back towards the waterfall, he had to squint, not believing what he thought he had seen.

Yet, as he gazed more intently, he realized he was not mistaken. There, under the white foam of the waterfall sat a figure, resting cross-legged atop a large boulder in the center of the clear pool. Complete disbelief. Not only was there another person in the woods, in the same spot as he had found, but they seemed to be in the classical Buddhist monk type of training.

He could barely stifle a snicker, not wanting to give himself away before finding out who the sucker was indulging in such silly meditation methods. Careful not to create any noise, inching around a few twigs, Gin made his way towards the pool, feeling more intense mist falling on his face. As he approached, he began to make out details of the figure atop the boulder.

Long, dark blue hair fell around a pair of slender shoulders, a familiar tone that matched someone he knew. Soft, distinctly feminine features marked the face, her skin a light hue even beneath the white of the mist. He could not make out the color of the eyes, but he recognized the trademark black of the eye patch. The upper body was wrapped tightly with white bandages, the usual blue pants replaced with a lighter tone of shorts.

Gintoki groaned inwardly at his luck, finding HER of all people in his attempts at isolation. Casting a more careful glance around the clearing brought a question, as he realized the girl was completely on her own. No retainer, no overbearing girlfriend, just herself. He wondered what the highly respected young master would be up to here, completely alone in the middle of the forest.

Taking a seat upon one of the stones lining the large pool, he brought a leg up lazily towards his chest. Letting his arm rest upon the raised knee, he watched the young woman in her meditation. It was not something he enjoyed doing, rather opting for sleep as opposed to meditation. He wondered if meditating beneath a waterfall could indeed produce any positive effects, despite his reluctance to try that particular practice.

With a bit of amused surprise, he realized that his presence seemed unnoticed by the young girl. Gin knew that if Tae or Ayumu had been here, seen him spying on the young girl that his life would meet a swift end. But seeing that neither of them were here, he took an amused pleasure in his advantage. After a few more moments of observation, he decided that he had had enough fun.

"You know, you should be more careful when you're all alone in the woods." he spoke, his mocking tone clear in each syllable. He made sure his voice would be heard over the rush of water, and nearly doubled over in laughter at the dark flush that made its way over the girl's face.

Chocolate orbs seemed to vaporize, melting into a confused jumble of brown beneath her embarrassment. Gin's lips curled into a nearly mocking grin, watching as the girl stayed glued to her spot beneath the towering wall of water. The long locks of hair matted sloppily against her face and neck, the girl seems unable to even blink.

The red in her face grows, darkening with the flood of blood to her usually pale skin. Gin's amusement turns to slight concern as the girl sits motionless, no words of protest of accusation passing through her lips. Standing upon his spot at the edge of the pool, he alerts her once more to his presence.

"Oi, what's wrong?" he asks, relieved as she finally blinks at his presence. The young man knows that being caught in such a vulnerable position was bad enough as a samurai, but doubly so being a young woman. But his relief is quickly washed away as the heave of her chest seemed to become a tad heavier, lips parting as she seemed to gasp for breath.

Without a second thought, Gin rushes through the cold water, catching the girl as she falls forward from her perch within the waterfall. Feeling the cold water pelting him from above, he pulls the young woman away from the pool, feeling the odd sensation of dirt clumping to his feet as he made his way towards his makeshift campsite.

Laying the slender frame prone upon his sleep roll, he tried to think of what might be wrong. Laying his ear against the occasionally rising chest, he tried to block out the wet softness against his cheek, focusing on the heartbeats and ragged breaths. Gradually the breathing evened out a bit, and the heartbeats became more regular. Letting himself fall back into a sitting position, he watched over the young girl, waiting for her to awake.

It was an hour or so later, the sun beginning to dip into the horizon for the night, when Kyuubei woke up. Eyes feeling hazy, she looked up idly at the sky, feeling a bit of discomfort. What had happened? All she remembered was sitting beneath the waterfall, letting the cold chill of the water seep through her body, washing away all the doubts that plagued her mind.

But then something had happened… but what? Nothing seemed to come directly to mind, yet she felt a hot sensation in her face as she tried to think back. Her mind was shaken from its trip through her memory at a loud crack to her right. Turning her gaze, she saw a large fire blazing, as well as a familiar figure.

"Ah, so you're finally awake." he spoke, no malice or teasing in his voice, hunched over on the side of the fire nearest her. He poked at the burning wood a few times more, before turning on his haunches to consider her. "You can't go overreacting like that when something like that happens, you know?"

At that, her mind filled in the blanks, and the flush of her face started anew. She had been meditating beneath the waterfall, the peace and tranquility filling her being. But someone had interrupted her, catching her in a very compromising position.

Bringing herself into an upright position, she watched the young samurai to the side, the fire burning brightly behind him. His only reaction was a raised brow, seemingly trying to convey some message without words, serving only to confuse her.

"I guess you're over your embarrassment." he mentioned, and she cast a gaze down her body. In sudden shock, the young samurai girl looked around for any clothing to cover herself with, the cool air raising goosebumps across her smooth skin. Finding nothing to cover herself with, the girl simply clutched her arms to her chest, wishing that the other person was not present.

An amused chuckle for her embarrassment as the silver haired samurai stood from his position, making his way around the blue haired young woman. Keeping her eyes on him the whole time, she watched, wondering what he was doing. Before she could figure it out, her vision was covered with a thick cloth, a new weight on her head.

"Here, you can wear that until you can get your stuff." he spoke, simply and softly. As she pulled the white kimono from her face, she watched as he made his way back towards the fire, his gaze not returning to her bare form. In a hurry, she shifted the garment so that her arms slipped through the large sleeves, pulling it tightly across her torso, covering her bare flesh against the pleasantly cool air of evening.

"Thanks…" she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. If he heard her, he made no indication of it, his gaze focusing intently on the reds and oranges of the fire before him.

Bringing her knees up towards her chest, the young woman watched him tend the fire, wondering what he was so focused on. But as she inhaled, she could smell the distinct aroma of cooked meat, and realized that Gin must have caught some fish from the nearby stream.

"Here." he said, offering her a stick holding a well cooked fish. As she held it carefully in her hand, she watched as he dug mindlessly into the small meal. Bowing her head in thanks, she then did the same, taking a few tender bites of the surprisingly well done fish.

As they consumed the small meal, the Sun finished its trek into the distant horizon, leaving the pair alone in the large clearing. The only sounds that filled the otherwise awkward silence was the thunder of the falls and the occasional crackle of wood within the fire.

Gin retreated a distance from the fire, taking a seat next to the younger woman. Laying on his back, he folded his hands behind his head, staring lazily up at the night sky. Resting her own cheek upon her upraised knees, the girl took in the sight of the samurai. It was strange to her, how he could be so at peace in seemingly any environment, any setting, whatever might be going on.

"So, what brings you out here, into the deepest woods? And without your loyal stalker on top of that." Gintoki spoke in his usually direct manner, no hint of sensitivity or tact. It was one of the qualities that stood out for him, his ability to get right to the matter.

"I thought it would be good training, to get back to nature." It was pretty much the answer he had expected to hear from the young girl, but he couldn't shake a sense of disappointment upon hearing it. He had spent just a bit more time with the girl over the past few weeks and months, and had thought she was lightening up a bit.

"Just what one would expect from the young master." he responded, spilling his true thoughts on the matter. Without turning his gaze away from the moon hanging lazily in the sky, he waited for some answer from the female samurai. The only reply he was offered was a hint of cloth rustling, and he could tell she had turned to face him fully.

"What do you mean by that?" A hint of distress on her voice, just a bit of surprise in the few words.

Turning his head only slightly, Gin let his raspberry colored eyes fall on the young girl to his side, noticing her slender legs pulled tightly to her chest. "Always the perfect student. Always proper, dedicated to the teachings and all that stuff." His words rang quite true, and Kyuubei could not think of a thing to say in her defense.

Her soft brown eyes drifted upward, watching the twinkle of starlight begin to creep out into the darkened sky. All her life, she had been indoctrinated to be the perfect samurai, even so far as being raised as a man instead of a woman. Over time, her life had become dedicated to that task, and she had not truly regretted it. She was, after all, unparalleled in swordsmanship. At least, that was what she had thought.

Her skill with the blade was the one constant through the harsh training, the promise that she was becoming stronger with each passing day. That, along with a promise she had made with her childhood friend. Yet, when the time had come to conclude the promise, and join together with the young woman, her whole life had been flipped upside down by a single group of intruders.

Looking at them, one would be hard pressed to identify the silver haired young man as the leader, everything about him screaming lazy slacker. She had assumed he would be easy to take out, as had the rest of the members of her dojo. But flash impressions were useless when it came to Sakata Gintoki.

He had proved himself infinitely more capable with the blade than her, despite his clear lack of any sort of formal style. It was wild and unpredictable, relying on his natural ability to dodge and strike, his instincts for evading deadly blows and swing with immense power. All facts she had felt firsthand at her easy defeat by his hand. After that incident, Kyuubei had wondered if all her time in training had been fruitless after all, if people like Gintoki could display such skill without any training.

After her "plan" had been thoroughly torn apart, life had returned almost to normal for her, falling back into a pattern of training, of strengthening herself. But now there was a set goal in mind, one that drove her to be stronger, to be the strongest. Even if she wasn't sure it was a reachable dream.

"It's all your fault…" she spoke, barely a whisper over the crackling of wood in the fire. Gin made no inclination that he heard her, only focusing on her small frame, wrapped loosely in his trademark white kimono.

"If only you hadn't shown up that day…" her voice rose just a bit in volume, and she was sure he heard her this time. Her arms wrapped themselves around her legs, as though trying to find some comfort from a harsh reality.

"Are you sure about that?" Was his reply, as though the outcome would have been the same that day with or without his presence.

"Of course. You were the leader after all, the only one who could have beaten me. So, without you, it all would have gone to plan." At that, Gin turned his head so that he was gazing back up at the moon, its crescent shape casting its pale glow upon the clearing, illuminating his face.

"Heh. Guess you weren't listening to what I said at all that time. It would have gone the same either way. After all, I'm always surrounded by monsters." As he spoke, his voice took on a tone of caring, of respect and admiration. His lips curled into an amused smile, and she knew he was thinking of the others.

"But none of them can match you, can they?" Kyuubei truly wished to know, whether the man who had defeated her so easily was the strongest in the group.

"Of course not. Nobody will be able to take me out." His self confidence nearly crossed the thin line over into arrogance, but his skill gave the statement merit. "But, even with that, the things you were fighting for and what they were fighting for were too different, so you had no chance. Even though that Shinsengumi bastard took a real beating from you."

As he mentioned the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, he broke into a light chuckle, imagining his blood soaked visage, the result of his not fighting back even while being beaten senseless. Respectable in a certain way, but completely idiotic in any other.

"How can you say that so casually? Not only was there me, but my grandfather. None in your group could have handled the both of us!" She was near fury at this point, his words seemingly insulting her entire family and style of swordsmanship.

"Tch, tch, tch." He clucked his tongue carelessly, finger wagging disapprovingly in front of her face. "Like I said, you were fighting for different things. And a person with a full heart, a full mind behind their actions will always find a way to win in the end. Simple as that." Soft brown eyes widened in surprise, watching as he lay impassive upon the cool ground.

Was it really 'as simple as that' for him? Was that the secret to his monstrous strength, a certainty in his actions? The thought was silly… wasn't it? But as she thought about it for a moment longer, she felt her lips curl into a smile similar to his own. The smile warped into a short fit of laughter, the soft sound escaping her lips carelessly as his gaze diverted back towards her.

"Heh, it is pretty funny sometimes." Gin added, remaining prone on the ground, feeling the crisp coolness of the night pass over him. The fire began to die down, but there was just enough moonlight to keep things comfortable, and so he felt no need for the fire. Casting a casual glance back at the young girl accompanying him this time, he felt his breath hitch a bit in his throat.

Contrary to the manly way she dressed normally, now he could see the soft curves of a woman, curves normally hidden away by thicker clothing. The thought that her bare skin was wrapped only in his usual garb only made matters worse, and he thanked the gods that they were alone on this particular night.

"Thank you, Sakata-san." She spoke, wiping a stray tear following her short fit of laughter. The young girl seemed not to notice that in her reverie, the loose fitting robe had fallen just a bit, revealing a bit more of her bust to the cool night air. But he didn't feel like ruining the mood just then, catching the genuine smile on her innocent face.

'_Have her lips always looked so… full and sweet?'_ he wondered to himself, muttering something about it not being a big deal as he tried to fight his current train of thought. Before he could do any more thinking, he felt a pressure resting against his stomach, just a light one, but still noticeable.

"I can see why they all like you, Gin-san." Kyuubei had closed the short distance between them, her head resting carelessly against his well toned torso. Gintoki could only blink in surprise, watching the dark blue locks fan out against his black shirt. With a mischievous sort of ease, he ran a hand casually through the surprisingly smooth, luscious hair. It did feel quite good to his touch, and the light, amused hums from the young girl indicated that she enjoyed it as well.

"Damn, how did I end up the counselor for all you kids?" he complained, eliciting another light giggle from the young girl.

"It's all your fault, being so soft Gin-san." At that, he sighed, caving in to whatever the one-eyed samurai might have in mind. He knew that however much he complained, he would always be there for those closest to him.

After a long while simply chatting, the pair felt a small bond form between them, and each found themselves awaiting their next encounter.

As Gin woke with the bright lights of morning sun on his face, he was glad for his little trek into the forest. But more than that, he was glad he wouldn't have to explain the scene to a crazy, possibly sex starved young woman. Mostly because he wasn't sure he would be able to explain it… Tae was pretty overprotective of her childhood friend, after all.

As though confirming the scene was reality and not a dream, the young man pressed a finger lightly against the soft cheek of the girl to his side, smiling at the sigh that escaped her lips. "She really is pretty cute." he mused to himself, folding his hands back behind his head as he stared lazily at the sky.

Gintoki would have to make a note to take solo trips more often.

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**This turned out a bit longer than I first intended, but that is as always mostly because I have a hard time finding a good ending spot. How did you all like it? Cute little scene at the end, I thought, which makes me like the pairing. Anyway, next installment here will be, as far as I know, the first GinTsu fic at this site. Warning ahead of time, if you have not seen/read the Yoshiwara is Burning Arc, then you will be at a loss, so check that out. Tsukuyo is a fun character, if a little hard to work with. Kind of like Kyuubei in that respect... wicked ideas already running in my head for one featuring both :P Anyway, look forward to that, as well as more GinKagu fluff ahead Gintama fans. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Good company can be hard to find. (Part 1 of 3)**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: none in this chapter.**

**I know, you must be shocked to see a chapter with no real pairing, eh? Don't worry too much, it's coming. This is just a sort of test drive with the Tsukuyo character, the first part of a 3 shot. Tsukuyo has been distracted a bit lately, and the girls of Yoshiwara decide there is only one surefire cure. As I think I said in my previous update, if you have not read/seen the Yoshiwara is Burning arc, you will not know what is going on here, so I recommend catching that.**

**Actually, I recommend catching it anyway, as it is my favorite story arc in any anime. Gintoki vs. Hosen is unbelivably epic.

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Leaning back on the narrow bench of Hinowa's shop, a young blonde woman let her gaze drift up towards the bright blue sky. _'How strange…'_ she thought to herself. Like others living in their subterranean town, Tsukuyo sometimes had a hard time accepting the new reality. No longer were they trapped in a world of darkness, held under the tight grip of a tyrant.

The bright light of the sun washed over the town, casting a sometimes disapproving light on the raunchy shops and other supposedly inappropriate sights to be found in the new Yoshiwara. Over time, the sex shops and hostess clubs would likely fade away, leaving no memory of the time when the town was run by the infamous 'King of the Night'.

It all felt so surreal to her, the dark, closed world she had spent her entire life in completely gone. The dank, depressing, oppressive atmosphere replaced with one of complete freedom, all because of one group people with no real connection to Yoshiwara. As her thoughts drifted to the group of misfits, led by the samurai with the silver hair and outrageous personality, Tsukuyo felt her body lean a bit more backwards.

Resting on her hands for support, the young woman felt her mind wandering away from the present, away from her present location. After the Yorozuya trio had turned Yoshiwara upside down, they had simply gone back to their normal lives, leaving a huge mess to be cleaned up by the residents.

"How thoughtful of them." she mused lightly to herself, a smile nearly forcing itself across her lips at their strange behavior. She wondered to herself what they must be like on the surface, if they were as violent and raucous as they seemed during their brief visit. Pleasant thoughts drifted lazily through her head, of a peaceful existence full of bright Sunlight.

Nothing around her seemed to come to focus, her thoughts occupying her fully. It was something she had no ability to enjoy before, in her capacity as the leader of the security force for Yoshiwara, as Hinowa's right hand. But with the immediate threat having been disposed of, the young blonde found herself in a sort of vacuum. Still the security needed her, but their job was much less defined than previously.

"-kuyo?" A soft, caring voice rang in her ears. Blinking a few times, she realized that she had drifted off into her world of daydreams. Turning her head, she gazed at her long time friend, her face contorted into one of worry for the young woman.

"Ah, what is it Hinowa?" she asked, straightening herself out, her soft lavender eyes falling steady upon her longtime friend. It still pained her deep in her heart to see her friend, the one closest to family she had in the world, confined to a wheelchair. The pain must have shown through on her face, as Hinowa tried to comfort the young woman.

"Ah, it is nothing important. But you seem to be drifting off a bit more lately." Undeniably true. Tsukuyo herself had noticed this, yet still winced a bit under the accusation.

"I know, and I am sorry for it. I will try harder to keep my imagination under control." she answered, standing to bow in respect to the idol of Yoshiwara. Even in her handicapped condition, the young woman once held in esteem as the finest courtesan in Yoshiwara managed to keep a bright smile and cheery air around her, one which encouraged any who came in contact with her. Her positive attitude was absolutely infectious, and upon seeing a warm smile on her lips, Tsukuyo herself allowed a smile to grace her features.

"Now, no need to be so serious. I understand it completely, Tsukuyo." The hint of mischief in the wheelchair bound girl's voice gave the well trained warrior a moment's pause, the warm smile transforming before her eyes into one of joy and playful mirth.

"But if I lose my cool, then who knows what would happen to this city." She knew how important she was to the security force of Yoshiwara, how respected she was by the women who made up her elite squad. But before she could give any other explanations of herself, the girl in the wheel chair raised a hand into the air, motioning for stop. Tsukuyo mumbled just a bit in confusion, wondering what her friend was planning.

"It is true that I and many of the others owe you a great debt, one that will be very difficult to repay." The kind words made the young blonde blush just a bit, unfamiliar still with such words of kindness. It was just another thing that was brought out into the warm sunlight by that crazy samurai and his friends.

"No, not at all. It is I who owe you a great debt, Hinowa. If only I had been stronger…" The frustration at having to rely on an outsider was the reverse side of the coin of freedom, one which spurred the girls in the security force to train harder than ever before. Still those present recalled with shivers the silver haired young man, stained almost completely in blood, standing time and time again under Hosen's devastating blows.

"Ah, hold your complaints for a moment more, Tsukuyo." Hinowa asked, the inflection leaving no room for argument. Holding her position opposite the young woman before her, Tsukuyo nodded gently, her blonde bangs brushing lazily against her cheeks with the gesture.

"Now, the people of this town have noticed you drifting off into short bouts of uncharacteristic carelessness." the blonde woman could only blush a bit at this, not enjoying being caught in such moments of weakness, even as her subordinates were straining themselves to become stronger.

"I am sorry, Hinowa. I-I don't know what to say in apology." It was frustrating for the young woman. Before the removal of the King of the Night, it had been so easy to focus, so easy to maintain the warrior's edge she knew was essential for survival. But in this new time of peace, she found it more and more difficult to keep a serious air about her.

"It is nothing to apologize for. As I said, the people in town have noticed you drifting off into your daydreams now and then. Me and a few of the others got to talking, and we decided there was only one way to fix your problem." The glee in Hinowa's voice made the blonde tense tightly, fearing what manner of torture would be instilled upon her.

"And, what would that be, Lady Hinowa?" she managed to eek out, purple hued eyes filled with concern for her fate. Would she be kicked out of Yoshiwara just like that, or maybe removed from her post? All manner of fears managed to course through her mind before Hinowa spoke once more.

"We decided that you need a vacation."

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**Oh, Tsukuyo going on vacation. I'm sure you all know what that would entail :P Sorry this one was so short, but the next one will be a bit longer, as we get to see her interact with our favorite main characters. Going on vacation from a subterranean town, where could she go? Only one person she knows on the surface that she can go to for help.**

**Also, another update about this story grouping. I decided that after the GinKagu wedding in chapter 21, Jack of All Trades will switch to a GInKyuu and GinTsu focus, and go on indefinitely. Updates might slow down, but they will still come for all the established fans of Gintoki x Kyuubei and the hopefully soon to be fans of Gintoki x Tsukuyo. Look forward to part 2 of this 3-shot soon hopefully.  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Good company can be hard to find (Part 2 of 3)**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: implications of GinKagu**

**Here is part 2 of this threeshot featuring one of my favorite gals in Gintama, Tsukuyo. Harder to work with her than even Kyuubei given her limited appearances, but I tried my best to keep her in character. Last time I will give this warning, but those of you who have no familiarity with the Yoshiwara arc should check it out. Mangafox has the chapters that compose it, 210-228. Awesome story arc. That said, enjoy the Yorozuya antics.

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With a flurry of activity, Gintoki rushed to finish his breakfast preparations. Each second that passed seemed to stab him in the back, his eagerness apparent from his concentration. Poring the milk into the small bowl, he watched the morsels of cereal begin to float in the small sea of white. Placing the nearby spoon directly into the bowl, he paid no attention to the small smattering of milk that escaped the bowl.

Taking great care not to spill any, the silver haired young man hurriedly made his way to the couch, intent on enjoying his favorite television program. Keeping firm hold on the ever cooling bowl, he scanned the vicinity of the sofa for the remote control. A moment of panic swept through him as the important piece of plastic was nowhere in sight.

Another moment and his body sagged in relief, reaching between the cushions to produce the device. With one click of the power button, he watched as the picture began to come into focus. The smile that crept across his face would be described as anything but innocent, a veritable leer as the face of the local reporter came into focus. It was well known that Gintoki had a huge crush on the weather girl, to the point that he refused to miss a single broadcast featuring the cute girl.

As he ate his cold meal for the morning, Gin refused to let his eyes leave the slight young woman on the screen. As always, he was intent on drinking in the sight of the lady, his mind working through all manner of devious thoughts. The soft crunch of cereal in his ears nearly drowned out the soft, pleasant voice on the television, but not quite. This was the only thing he took pleasure in on television on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, as he was so focused on the television, he failed to notice the presence of another person in the room with him. The small frame of his roommate slipped easily into the living room, taking a place on the sofa right beside him. One look at the television, then over at Gintoki and Kagura felt herself becoming ill at the sight of him. With a mischievous smirk, she reached her small hand out, relieving him of the pressure of the remote.

Click. Gintoki scarcely registered the change before a different image popped on the screen. Setting down his now empty bowl on the nearby table, he turned his gaze towards the girl who served as his companion and roommate.

"Oi, Kagura, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, the irritation clear in his voice. The girl simply looked up at him as though he had asked her the meaning of life, the soft blue eyes showing something like… derision?

"What? I just changed the channel. The news is so boring, this is way better." Turning his gaze back to the television, Gintoki felt his spirits flag significantly at the sight. Some kind of kids' show, not the kind of thing he wanted to see in the morning.

"Baka. This stuff will rot your brains, so you should get a good dose of the news while you're young." He argued, taking hold once more of the remote. But unlike Kagura's ease of grasping the device, Gintoki found it held in a veritable vice grip.

"No way! You don't care about the news, you just want to drool over the weather girl. It's really gross."

"What?! Whose house do you think this is, you little brat?"

"That's not something an irresponsible person like you should be saying! You should consider the example you are setting for me, you bastard."

"You're the one who just made the decision to live here. I'm the owner here, so I get to choose what's on television." The pair continued their argument, each statement a bit more crude and lacking in sense. Time simply continued to march onward, the remote eventually lost in their bickering.

"Freeloaders… should just… sit back and… be quiet…" Gin huffed, not realizing how much time had passed since their argument had begun. Now standing near his desk, he stared at the little red headed girl in front of him, wondering why she was being so pushy.

"I can… handle just… as much as… you can… at work…" Both were feeling exhausted, odd for seemingly so early in the morning. Chests heaved with ragged breaths, the forced intake of air ringing off of the walls around them.

The young Yato girl and the silver haired samurai stared determinedly at each other, neither even caring at this point what the argument was about. Neither was willing to yield, to give the other the satisfaction of their capitulation.

"At least I don't suck up all the food in the house in one sitting. Be grateful for what you have, you red headed black hole."

"That's just because you sleep all day. No wonder you never have any work." The pair closed the small gap between them, hands locked into a tight grapple. Faces contorted in emotion, frustration at the living arrangement and the inability to handle the necessary give and take.

"My, I never would have thought you could argue like this. Quite unsightly of both of you." The quarrelling pair turned their heads simultaneously towards the now abandoned sofa, eyes narrowing in anger and surprise at the figure sitting leisurely on the piece of furniture.

As they took a few steps back towards the sofa, the person turned their head slightly. Blonde hair swayed gently with the motion, the pair caught in the clear lavender eyes. A soft rustling of cloth could be heard as Gintoki and Kagura took a seat on the sofa opposite the young woman, each with mirror images of confusion on their faces.

"Hmm? I never would have pegged you for one of those people, Gintoki." she spoke casually, as though she had known the young man for years. The silver haired samurai crooked an eyebrow in confusion, arms crossed over his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just didn't know you were into little girls." Tsukuyo answered, a sarcastic leer on her face as she nodded in Kagura's direction. Gin uncomfortable shifted his crimson orbs towards the young red head, and sighed deeply.

"Eh? What gives you that idea?" he asked, his heart obviously speeding up a touch at the accusation.

"Everyone can tell you guys are pretty close, but living under the same roof? Ah well, to each their own I suppose." the statement was accompanied with a light shrug of her slender shoulders, lips curled into a mocking sort of smile.

"You should get your eyes checked. No way would I be into that kind of thing, lady." Hiking a thumb towards his young partner, Gin continued. "I'm definitely into _women_, not teens who act like little kids and just eat everything-" his short rant was interrupted by a swift punch to the gut, sending him curling over on the other edge of the sofa.

Kagura sat nearly motionless, save for the pouting puff of her cheeks, some measure of hurt in her crystalline blue eyes. "You say something?" she asked, smirking at Gintoki's once more labored breathing.

"See? Nobody would want such a violent girl like this." he voiced more carefully this time, on guard for another attack from the young alien. Sensing that none would come, he allowed himself to settle upon the sofa. Taking one last calming breath, he was taken by surprise by another blow to the gut, before the young girl muttered something about his lack of manners and stormed out of the room.

"You should be more careful. You're not indestructible, you know." Tsukuyo warned, watching him cough and wheeze, searching for breath. Seeing the "hero" of Yoshiwara huddled over, arms wrapped tightly around his stomach from a punch by his own roommate would fill anyone with a sense of dread over the state of the world. Maybe Hosen was just overrated…?

"Damn brat…" he finally began, pulling himself upright, wincing with each subtle movement, "so, what can I do for you?" he asked, allowing his teary eyes to fall on the black clad woman before him. Choking down the last of his suffering, he let his breathing calm down. So much stress so early in the morning… he needed a vacation.

"Well, it's kind of a long story…" she began, wanting to convey the full issue to the young man. His white kimono had been discarded in favor of his favored sleep wear, its green hue contrasting with the image she held of him from their previous encounter. The look on his face at the prospect of a long story nearly made her chuckle, but instead opted for the so-called "short version".

"Basically, everyone thinks I have attention issues, so they forced me to go on vacation." Tsukuyo nearly spat the words from her lips, as though they were somehow poisonous to her person.

"And? What does that have to do with me?" Gintoki's lack of empathy was astounding, and Tsukuyo found herself wondering what he really did all that for in the first place. With a sigh, she leaned back against the back of the sofa, letting her right leg hang loosely over the left.

"I don't know anyone on the surface, and they won't let me back until the vacation time is over. So, you're going to let me stay here for a while." she spoke, her lips curling into a smile at Gintoki's shocked sputtering. He seemed at a loss for words, his eyes wide in agonized confusion.

"Wait. You can't just make a decision like that on your own. Why should I have to put up another freeloader when I can barely support the living food vaccuum?" By this point the frustrations of the morning were getting to him, his voice barely below a yell. The blonde woman before him made no motion to leave, her icy stare holding him in place.

"It's all your fault you know. With Hosen gone, everything is so peaceful it is hard to focus on things. So take responsibility." The way she spoke left no room for argument from him. Grumbling something about good deeds being punished, he plopped back down on the sofa, head hanging loosely over the back of the piece of furniture.

"No way! It's inappropriate for a woman and man to live under the same roof if they're not married." Gin's irritation grew even more as he caught sight of the stalker ninja hanging from the ceiling overhead. Slapping his palm against his forehead, he watched the girl clumsily fall from her perch right onto his small table.

"Who are you?" Tsukuyo had pulled herself into a defensive position, curious how someone could have gotten so close to her without being detected. Maybe her skills were slipping.

"Haha. I am Gin-san's wife, so there is no place for you here." Ayame began to gloat, facing towards the nearby television. The warm glow of the small box had seemingly distracted her, a pair of red framed glasses laying unceremoniously on the remains of the table.

"What are you doing staring at the-" Tsukuyo's question was muffled by Gintoki, who shot her a look to be silent. With a weak nod, she watched as Gin made his way quickly over to the scantily clad young lady.

"How many times have I told you not to hang around, you crazy broad!?" With this, Gintoki smacked the poor girl rather hard, her slender frame crumpling to the ground in a heap.

"Ah, I'm unworthy of your affection so early in the morning." The blonde could scarcely believe her eyes, as the lavender haired girl blushed, her thumb innocently between her lips. The look of pure ecstasy that she displayed was rather disturbing, as Gin set about tying the girl up.

With a mild grunt, he lifted the girl from her position in front of the television, making his way towards the front entrance. "Could you get the door for me?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Tsukuyo. Another weak nod and she made her way towards the front door. Sliding it open, she wondered what he was going to do.

"Now, I don't have time for this, so just leave me alone for a while, okay?" he asked, the words coming out as more of a statement. With that, he set the girl down on the perch to the front. Incoherent mumblings could be heard from the girl as Gin slid the door closed. A protruding stitch throbbed on his left cheek as he headed back into the small home, his body language dripping with irritation.

His footsteps rang through the small apartment, the heaviness filling the atmosphere as he trudged over towards the sofa once more. Straining her ears a bit, Tsukuyo thought she caught him mumbling some chant for some peace and quiet. This time she was unable to contain herself, as a short, light giggle escaped her lips. He was truly a strange man, and maybe her stay here would be a good bit of fun.

With a sudden stop, the silver haired young man turned, making his way quickly over towards the large wooden desk in front of a wide window. Rummaging quickly through a drawer, he produced a piece of paper and a marker. A few squeaks echoed in the room as he ran the felt tip across the coarse material of the paper.

Once he had finished whatever he was doing, he made his way back to the front door, a roll of masking tape firmly held in his free hand. A clack of wood and she watched the door slide open then closed. His silhouette visible through the thin material. After only a moment more he made his way back inside, the same tired expression on his face from earlier.

"What was that all about?" she asked finally, curious about his bizarre behavior.

"Well, since you're here on vacation, I'll just go on vacation myself." he muttered, his lips curling into a warmer, more gentle smile. She wasn't sure what he was planning exactly, but at least he hadn't treated her as badly as his so-called stalker.

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**Some of you might be wondering if Shinpachi will show up in this story, as I have a tendency to leave him out of most of my writings. The short answer is no, for the chief reason that I am not a fan of his character. Sorry if this chapter takes a bit of a dip near the end, but my bottle of strawberry milk emptied before I could get to the end. So tasty early in the morning. Anyway, next chapter will be the 'conclusion' and will have the first attempt at the romantic angle for GinTsu, so for fans of the blonde, look forward to that. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Good company can be hard to find (Part 3 of 3)**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: hints at future GinTsu**

**Alright, not the romance I would have liked to put in, but a sweet moment between the two. After all, it is my first attempt with the character. I will probably visit this setting again, and there will definitely be some romantic GinTsu soon. Probably next update to this. That said, enjoy the little GinTsu moments.

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**

As the heavy urban setting gave way to a larger concentration of vegetation, Tsukuyo found herself almost marveling at the simple beauty. Fewer and fewer were the beiges and browns that marked a large city, shiny glass and metal disappearing from sight. To see the still relatively unharmed countryside, one would be hard pressed to think that Japan had been overtaken by aliens from outer space.

The young blonde turned her head from side to side, taking in the rich greenery that she found surrounding her. Living a whole life underground had deprived her of such simple views as this. Even the sky seemed that much brighter, that much larger to see it stretched out so lazily before her. Had she not been so cynical and well trained, the young woman may well have had her jaw stuck open.

"Nice view, isn't it?" The voice of her new "companion" stuck through her thoughts, bringing her attention to his wide back. Not being familiar with the surface world as much as he was, the female warrior had left the directions and choice of venue to the lazy samurai. Being sure to hold a steady rhythm walking, she tried to formulate the right words.

"It certainly is. We don't have any such landscape in Yoshiwara, but I never would have thought it could be so…" Words seemed to fail at this juncture.

"… beautiful." he finished for her, the word fitting nicely to what she had been thinking. For just an instant, she could swear that his voice sounded almost sad, nostalgic. As though he were thinking of some past event, some trauma from his youth. She dismissed the notion quickly, not figuring him capable of such a thing.

"So what is this place you are taking us to, Gintoki? It seems awfully out of the way." His steady pace slowed a bit, almost imperceptibly, but he gave no response. Now the woman was intrigued. In the short time she had spent around the young man, he seemed the type to just say what was on his mind, others' feelings be damned.

Now, as they walked, Tsukuyo found her gaze focusing on the broad shoulders in front of her. The white kimono fluttered to and fro with his movements, an occasional breeze adding an extra force to the fabric. Silver hair sat lazily atop his head, fitting so well into his overall look.

The uncomfortable scrape of the thick sole boots against the hard dirt road seemed to echo, to hang in the air long enough to give a feeling of isolation. Yet, it was not entirely unpleasant. Thinking for a moment longer, the young woman found that isolation was not the right word to use. Tranquility. Serenity. At that, she found herself smiling, closing the short distance between herself and the lazy samurai.

Walking alongside him, she tried to catch a glimpse at what he might be thinking, how he might be reacting to the new scenery. She was still curious as to his purpose for bringing them so far from the city, but was quite enjoying the companionable silence. They seemed to be heading deep into what would pass for a forest, long having replaced the heavily industrialized setting of Edo.

An occasional flock of birds passing overhead, rustling of small creatures in the nearby bushes further enhanced the feeling of natural calm. But as she cast her hazy purple eyes ahead, she thought that a small building came into view. Gintoki seemed to notice it as well, his expression changing so slightly into one of happiness.

"Well, we're here." he muttered to his new companion, casting her a warm smile as he adjusted the large bag on his shoulder. Tsukuyo was taken aback a bit, having not seen such an expression on his face before. In her memories, he would likely always be the fierce warrior that took down the tyrant at Yoshiwara. White kimono stained red with blood, both his and his enemy's. A look of fire and carnage in his eyes, the eyes of a killer.

But that person seemed so far away now, almost like it was a different person entirely. Gone were the eyes of blood red, replaced with a more warm, caring sort of glow. No longer could she see the beast who sought the carnage of battle, a young man looking for peace standing in its place.

After another few moments of walking, they came upon a rather broken down looking building. The trees had been cleared for a good distance in a large square around the structure. Green grass swayed in the light breeze, a soft rustling of leaves filling her senses.

"Why did you bring us here? This place has definitely seen better days." She asked, casting an appraising glance around. Taking a step up onto the front entranceway, she slid open the door, finding herself surprised at the cleanliness of the interior. In her view, she could determine a rather large room, set to the side of a decent sized kitchen.

Setting her small travel bag down at the front entryway, Tsukuyo craned her head a bit, taking a good look at the building. Contrary to its somewhat rundown exterior, it looked rather warm and welcoming, almost like someone had been caring for it to a degree. Turning around, she made her way back outside, surprised to find Gintoki not present.

"Gintoki?" she called out, not loud enough to be called a shout, but loud enough to be heard a moderate distance off. Turning to the left, she headed towards the other side of the surprisingly large structure. At one time, she thought it must have been a dojo, or a school of some sort. A large empty space occupied the side of the building, where children might have played.

The gravelly feel of hardened dirt and clay rang in her ears, the odd sensation so similar and yet so different from her own hometown. As she made her way through the large clearing, Tsukuyo took in the full sight that greeted her. Breaking up the even field were a few well sized trees, one with a tire swing hanging from a hefty branch.

And beneath another, at the far side of the enclosure saw Gintoki, cross legged beneath the shady canopy. Knitting her brows together in confusion, the young woman made her way over to the samurai, wondering what was going on. As she approached, the young woman noticed a stone protruding from the ground, smooth, finely engraved letters adorning the surface.

Stopping right behind her newest friend, Tsukuyo watched as her shadow encompassed his form, his head only turning slightly in response to the new lack of light. "Have a seat. I'll be done in a minute." he answered lightly, his voice holding something deeper in it. Doing as instructed, she tucked her legs neatly beneath her to his left, watching as he turned back to the grave marker.

His face slipped into one of almost sadness, longing, and appreciation. The warmth of the smile on his face nearly drew her towards him, her body involuntarily gravitating in his direction. He looked so uncharacteristically lonely, yet fulfilled at the same time. Before the lean could become noticeable he spoke, shaking her from the mild trance.

"It's been a while since I came out here. It brings back a lot of memories." The way he said it made it clear that he usually did not talk about "the old days" with anyone, something she could sympathize with easily.

"Who were they?" she asked, hoping to get some insight into the young man who had done more for her and those she knew than he would probably ever know. At the question, his face showed a shade more of the sadness from before, before it lit up into a happy remembrance.

"My teacher. Me and a bunch of other kids who were orphaned for one reason or another ended up here, and he took care of us. Tried to teach us all that he could." He seemed to think quite fondly of the man, his lips curling into a smile as his head craned up towards the sky.

"He must have been important to you." Tsukuyo added, following his gaze to the sky above. Sunlight peered weakly through the thick canopy of leaves, casting a few specs of light on her pale skin. It felt unbelievably relaxing, to sit beneath the shade of the large tree and gaze at the sky.

"Ah. No matter how much we acted up, he never let us get too out of control, never gave up on us." Tilting his head back towards her, the young woman felt an odd thump in her chest, a slightly odd beat. Maybe it was thinking of the past, or opening up to another person, but he looked so weak. So lost.

"I'm sure he's proud of what you've done with yourself, Gintoki." she comforted, speaking the truth she could feel in herself. "You've helped a lot of people, and that always counts for something." He looked at her in almost surprise at that, before falling backwards into the grass.

"I guess so. But it's not like I did it for that reason or anything." As he lay in the soft grass, cradling his head with his hands, Tsukuyo could not help but stare in amazement at the young man. He was the most carefree person she had ever met, something she figured must be the reason people would be around him. It was quite relaxing, and she chuckled a bit at the thought.

"Then why did you do it? I mean, sticking your nose into other people's business like that must have some reasoning." Pulling her legs up towards her chest, she let the silky black fabric of her kimono fall aimlessly beneath her, not caring about the amount of skin she might be showing.

"I just did it because I felt like it. It's like I told my buddy Zura a while ago, I always liked a good, rowdy fight." With that, he shifted his glance to the blonde beauty to his side, matching her smile as he spoke.

"What an odd fellow."

"You're one to talk. Why would anyone be so serious all the time? It's not good or you, and you'll only get wrinkles early." his voice shifted into more of a teasing mood, his smile widening to more of a leer as he looked at the young woman.

"It's just expected of me. I have to be strong for the girls back home, I can't show any weakness." The weight of her burden seemed to deepen just a bit, her shoulders hunching just a bit until her arms were resting on her knees.

"Idiot. That's why you'll never get a guy." he mumbled, the mischief gone from his voice as he looked at the clear sky above.

"What do you mean?"

"There is no reason for you to take on all that burden. All those girls want to help you, they respect you. Not just because you're the boss, or because you're strong, but because of the heart. If it were just about strength, there is no way they would have turned on the old man, right?" She could only blink in surprise. Of course she knew that the girls all respected her for something other than her strength, her skill, but it always slipped past her.

"I guess you could be right. So then let me ask you something?"

"Hmm?" his gaze didn't shift from the blue sky above, still ready to answer her question.

"So, why do you act like such an idiot then use smooth speech like that? You a playboy or something?" she smirked as she asked, watching his own face fall into a smile.

"Nah, nothing like that. It's just common sense, you know? Anyone could do it if they tried." Somehow the words seemed disingenuous to her, but she let it pass. Letting her purple eyes fall upon the gravestone, she tried to picture this young man as a boy, wondering what kind of mischief he might have gotten into at such an age.

"I bet your teacher must have had a hard time with you as a kid. I wonder if you've changed at all from back then." The pair enjoyed a brief fit of laughter, hers the first real laugh she had enjoyed in a long while.

"You know, you should laugh more." Gintoki spoke, pulling himself into a semi-sitting position. Turning his head towards the young blonde, he smiled warmly to her, catching her lavender orbs with his own crimson eyes. "You have a cute laugh, you know?" With that he stood, making his way into the large structure.

Tsukuyo was simply glued to her position, running his words through her head. Had he really said that? What did he mean by it? Pulling her legs closer to her chest, the young woman felt an odd warmth on her cheeks. Not quite a blush, but something noticeable all the same.

"Jerk…" she muttered, wondering if it would be alright to spend so much time alone with him. An oddly full feeling passed through her, her chest feeling tight with the sensation. The smile that she felt on her face gave her the answer she wanted. Standing herself, she slowly made her way to join the young man.

Maybe she hadn't had to give up on being a woman after all.

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**Aren't they just good together? Very cute couple in my opinion. From here, I will spend a few days finishing up Once Upon A Time Girl, so 4 or 5 more chapters of GinKagu fluff. Next chapter here will be either another GinTsu or a GinKyuu. Gintama pairings featuring Gintoki are so fun to write. Anyway, look forward to more from me in the next few days before I take my first dips into non-anime fanfiction.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Jack of All Trades Chapter 19: Rushing out while injured can lead to death... or worse.**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairing: I guess technically one-sided (for now) Gintoki x Gedoumaru**

**Ah, I knew there was a reason I didn't close this story collection. Watching the second half of Gintama gave me some ideas for stories featuring some of the more underutilized characters from the show. Examples would be this one, a weird, pointless little story featuring Gedomaru, the shikigami from the Onmyoji Arc. Other details below, so for now, hope you enjoy this one.

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"No, Gin-chan! Get back to bed!" the always excitable young girl said, brow scrunching a bit as she tried her best to sound stern and commanding. Just the way she had seen Tae do on several occasions. Small, slender fingers dug into the blue swirls along the bottom edge of her roommate's white kimono.

"Let go, you're going to rip it," the silver haired samurai responded, his voice stressed with irritation as he turned his head towards the young Yato girl. Wine colored eyes flared with utter annoyance as he gripped the slender wrist of the girl, trying uselessly to remove her fingers from his favorite piece of clothing… or for most intents and purposes his only noteworthy wardrobe choice.

"No way. If I let go, you're going to head out there again," Kagura responded, her blue eyes narrowing in concern as she held her grip on the white and blue fabric. The large crystalline pools quivered as she put on her best "innocent little girl" face, making use of another of the tricks she had picked up from her "older-sister" figure.

"That look's entirely unconvincing coming from you," Gin responded, his voice with the usual tone of teasing as he pulled again at the girl's hand. It wasn't like him to be so eager to get to work, but he figured a job like this one wasn't going to come around every day. Sure it was just a little bit dangerous, but what wasn't in his life?

"But last time you almost got yourself killed. I mean, look at you, you're practically a mummy right now," his younger protégé responded, pointing her loose left index finger at the older man's head. Small tufts of silver hair peeked out around loosely tied bandages, the results of Kagura's inexperience with such things. A small cross shape throbbed on Gintoki's left temple as his irritation reached its peak.

"And just whose fault was that, huh!? If you hadn't just jumped off because they called for lunch and dropped all that heavy junk I wouldn't be in this position!" Gintoki hollered, his voice exploding through the wide open room. He watched as sapphire eyes blanked, red pig tails swaying gently as the smaller girl turned her face away from the older man.

The look of guilt was one he was familiar with, so he recognized it immediately. "W-well, you're a samurai, s-so I figure you should, um, learn to pay more attention to your surroundings," she stumbled, trying to fake like she was secretly helping him in some backwards, misunderstood way.

"Like hell! You just listen to your never-ending stomach!" he retorted, his annoyance lifting moderately as the girl loosened her grip on his kimono. Pulling the last bit free of her iron grip, Gintoki straightened himself out. "Look, I have to go, or we won't get paid, and the old lady will be on my ass, so just stay here and watch the house," he answered, trying to cool himself down from the short outburst.

"But, Gin-ch-" Kagura's plea was cut off as a puff of smoke enveloped the pair, followed shortly by the unmistakable sound of the "master" of the house crying out in pain. Waving her hands as she coughed, the young Yato girl watched as a form appeared from within the thick mist, just where Gintoki had been standing.

"Geez, I have been tethered to quite the annoying, obnoxious master." The familiar voice of another younger girl echoed throughout the room, causing Kagura's eyes to widen a bit in surprise and confusion. As the smoke cleared, the form became clearer.

The lengthy handle of an enormous club showed above the right shoulder of the small frame, uneven black bangs falling softly in front of red tinted eyes. Slender fingers dusted off the tight fitting black kimono as she came to a stand, sandaled feet stepping directly on top of the client she had mentioned before.

"Huh? Where is the master?" the horned shikigami asked, narrow brows quirking with something like annoyance at being summoned but with no master in sight. Scanning the surroundings, she found another familiar sight crouched right in front of her, slender fingers poking at a tuft of bloodied silver hair.

"Ah, I wonder if this was the end of the line for him after all?" Kagura wondered sarcastically as she poked at the dampened clump of hair. Red eyes blinked as she took in the situation, yet made no move to step off from the soft mass beneath her feet. A small pool of red fluid pooled beneath him, which might give a normal viewer cause for alarm.

An awkward minute passed between the two conscious girls, each watching the pool of blood as it expanded from beneath the white kimono. As though just then realizing her situation, Gedomaru stepped off from the small of the young man's back.

"I suppose this is an inconvenient time, so I will return at a later date," she said, bowing as she turned towards the door. As her hand clenched the handle, she felt an impossibly strong grip on her right ankle, as well as immensely evil aura filling the room. Turning towards where she had been standing, she noticed that Gintoki was the source of the uncomfortable tension she was feeling.

"Oi, is that all you have to say?" he asked, his voice so low that she was barely able to make out the words. Silver hair swept along the floor through the pool of blood as he turned his head eerily towards the demon girl, his eyes like that of a demon.

"Oh, Gintoki-sama, so you are alive? I am relieved to know that. It seems I was summoned by mistake, so I will just be going," she said, her voice even and indifferent as she turned back once more towards the door. Her progress was impeded by the floor suddenly rising up towards her face, her nose smashing into the hard tile of the entryway to the apartment.

"You show up out of nowhere and almost kill me, and that's all you have to say for yourself!?" Gintoki shouted, shouting down at the girl as he had tripped her. His earlier irritation at Kagura's impeding his desire to leave had not completely subsided, and now there was another source of aggravation for him.

A few minutes later, once Gintoki had again been shoddily bandaged up, he and his apprentice sat across from the young looking demon girl, her eerie red eyes peering intently at the young man across from her. The awkward, nervous silence filled the air, and the silver haired young man felt his annoyance begin to increase.

"So, what have you come here for?" he asked, forcing his irritation aside to get his voice to a normal level of volume and control. The shikigami cleared her throat loudly, making it seem like she was giving some important speech.

"Well, that's what I wanted to know. I was just resting peacefully, playing my QS3 when I was mysteriously summoned to this run down building," Gedomaru answered, looking around the rather sparse apartment. The furniture looked old and worn, and there were various mangas and other print material littering the hard wood floor.

"Mysteriously summoned? What does that mean? I thought shikigamis could only be called out by their master," Kagura asked, her eyes turning towards Gintoki as he shrugged his shoulder, clearly indicating he was not the one to ask about the matter.

"Yes. It was like an emotional cry for help. It was very touching," the dark haired demon said, a small smile on her face as she nodded her head during her explanation. Gintoki stroked his chin in thought as he tried to remember doing anything like that, yet not being able to think of anything.

"I don't remember saying anything like that," he said, a certain confusion seeping into his voice as he spoke. It was at that point that Kagura waved her hand in the air, indicating she had had an idea regarding the matter at hand.

"Oh, it might have been when I was trying to keep this useless lump from getting himself killed," the red head spoke, her words bringing back the irritation Gin had felt earlier.

"Useless lump? What is she talking about?" the demon asked, leaning forward in concern towards her supposed master. As Kagura explained what had happened at the work site the day before, she nodded in understanding before leaning back in the simple yet oddly comfortable couch.

"I see. Gintoki-sama, you really must take better care of yourself. It is not good for a samurai to be so careless at a work site," the demon said, earning approving nods from Kagura. The idiocy was too much for Gintoki who felt himself on the verge of a complete melt down.

"Look, I'm fine, so you can go back to gameland or wherever it is you come from," he said, shooing the girl away. Turning away from the pair across from her, the black cloaked shikigami could be heard rustling through something, much to the confusion of the two people sitting across from her.

After a moment, she turned back, the black robes stretched out a bit around her stomach. "Dear, you can't put yourself at risk like that. What will I do about the children if you are gone?" she asked, forcing a tone of sorrow on her voice, one she had heard on many soap operas and other dramas during her free time.

"Gin-san, how cruel. Going off to die, while abandoning your wife like that," Kagura added, patting the shoulders of the darker haired girl in concern, immediately assuming the truth of the matter, common sense be damned.

"Quit messing around! Like I would ever do it with such a flat girl in the first place!" Gintoki shouted, pointing his left index finger at the pair of idiotic girls as he slammed his right hand on the table between them. "And look! When she first showed up she didn't have that lump. That's obviously just a pillow stuffed in there!" he said, suddenly wishing more than ever that he could get out of the house, just to be away from these stupid girls.

"How can you say that? Did you already forget the night we shared those few months ago? I guess the brain damage is too severe," Gedoumaru said, wimpering for extra sympathy points.

"Your brain is the one that's damaged!" he shot back, not willing to go along with the joke.

"Gin-chan, I never knew you could be so heartless. Brain damage is no excuse to be so cruel to your lover," Kagura added, her blue eyes narrowing a bit as she stared at the older man. At that comment, the young demon felt a small bit of warmth in her heart. Looking at the now arguing duo, she found herself imagining what it would be like to have him as a… lover.

She felt a flushing of her cheeks at the thought, it being entirely foreign to her. For a brief moment, her eyes met with the magenta tinted irises of the young samurai, her cheeks glowing just a bit brighter. _'Oh, no. There's no way I am thinking that. He belongs to Christel-sama, and it's not like I like him or anything…'_ she reasoned to herself, which caused her to imagine the scruffy samurai with her dearest friend.

Anger and a pinch of sadness filled her at that thought, a mysterious feeling that she had forgotten. _'Is this… jealousy?'_ she asked herself, Kagura and Gintoki still arguing around her. Seemingly billions of thoughts rang in her mind at once, filling the space that usually was only a mass of boredom and gloom.

As her mind worked through things, Gintoki gave the "decisive" blow to Kagura, the young red head rubbing the newly formed bump on her head as she whined in pain, mumbling something about government officials and watching his ass.

The lazy young man settled back into the cushioned bench he usually used, his gaze fixing on the young girl across from him. She seemed troubled by something, her lips moving but no sound coming out. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed at his temples. _'Why are all the women around me so damn troublesome?'_ he asked, figuring it was some kind of karmic payback for something he did in a past life.

"…stay here," the girl finally spoke, her voice lifting in the middle of the statement, catching the attention of both regular residents of Gin's "shop".

"Huh? What are you talking about now?" Gin asked, a brow quirked upward as he prepared himself for the worst. The black clad girl pulled her legs up onto the chair, tucking them beneath her small frame as she looked at the older man.

"I will stay here for a while, so that you do not end up doing something so stupid as getting yourself killed," the horned girl answered, black hair swaying as she placed her hands on her knees, fingers pointing towards the young man. The club on her back rubbed against her as she leaned forward, bowing in politeness towards the man and his partner, who had taken her seat at Gin's side.

The silver haired man was left speechless, his jaw hanging open as the demon's words hit him like the club she used as a weapon.

"Oi, there's not enough food here, so you can't stay, freeloader," Kagura said, giving an almost jealous girl gesture as she shooed the demon girl away.

"Even so, I must make sure that Christel-sama's future fiance does not end up harming himself, so I will stay here as long as it takes for you to recover," she said, beaming an honest smile as Gintoki's head smashed against the back of his sturdy bench. The demon girl giggled to herself as she watched Kagura shake the man back to consciousness.

Surely her friend Christel wouldn't mind a little competition for the scruffy, lazy samurai.

* * *

**So, there we have it. As far as I know, this is the first ever fanfic featuring this potential pairing, so bwahahahahaha. I will definitely be using this character again, because I just liked her. The next couple of entries to this anthology will be a little smuttier, with stories featuring Rei (the ghost from the filler Stand Arc), Tsukuyo, Sarutobi Ayame and maybe Tama (that's an iffy one). Also thinking of a fun one with Rei and Gedomaru in it (can never be sure how to spell the demon girl's name, so correct me if I got it wrong), so look forward to all that in the (hopefully) near future. Until then, good readers.**


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